Midterm Questions

Question 1

It is often said that dental caries is a multifactorial disease. What does this mean?

Question 2

If saliva is already supersatured in calcium phosphate, should we use calcium phosphate products? What use cases would you use and would you not use calcium phosphate products?

Question 3

How does ph affect crystal stability? How does this relate to teeth?

Question 4

Discuss the role of non-sugar sweeteners in the prevention of dental caries.

Question 5

You have been asked to design chemical agent that will support a health-associated dental plaque microbial community to protect against dental caries.
With reference to the Ecological Plaque Hypothesis as it applies to dental caries, describe four (4) characteristics of your chemical agent, briefly justifying each characteristic.

Question 6

List five ingredients you would include in a novel saliva substitute you were designing for patients suffering from hyposalivation. Provide a brief explanation for why you have chosen each ingredient.

Question 7

Describe the process of remineralization. Discuss factors that influence and enhance the process.

Question 8

Briefly describe one factor that can influence the microbial composition of dental plaque. Include in your response HOW this factor influences the microbial composition of plaque.

Question 9

You have a solution with dissolved ions and you place a solid crystal into it. You have calculated the solution’s Ion Activity Product (Iap) with respect to the crystal, and you know the solubility product (Ksp) of the crystal from a textbook. Describe the different possibilities of how the Iap may relate to the Ksp of the crystal to determine whether the solution is undersaturated, saturated or supersaturated. Indicate which state will promote net growth of the crystal and which state will promote net dissolution of the crystal.

Question 10

Would you recommend your patient to brush before eating or brush after eating in the morning? Argue your point.