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Dental solutions 1 – July 1st, 2008
Dr.Nachammai, Chennai
DENTAL SOLUTIONS/DENTAL KNOWLEDGE
Dental problems do continue to exert a major impact in human lives among all age groups.These dental problems certainly should receive significant attention not only from the standpoint of treatment procedures but also in terms of preventive measures to reduce the incidence.
Well, to discuss the common dental problems in detail, let us categorize them under the following headings:
Dental caries (Tooth decay)
Gingivitis
Periodontitis
Viral infections
Bacterial infections
Fungal infections
Oral ulcers
Staining of teeth
MaIalligned teeth and Impacted teeth.
DENTAL CARIES
The first and the foremost dental problem that is prevalent all over the world is the dental caries tooth decay.
PREVENTION IS BETTER THAN CURE.
To emphasise preventive measure against dental caries, one is expected to acquire knowledge about the pathogenesis of the problem.
The most popular and widely accepted theory regarding the mechanism of dental caries was postulated by Miller.This theory substantiates the process of decalcification of enamel as the mechanism of caries attack.
Mechanism of tooth decay
Micro organisms present in the mouth act on the carbohydrates deposited on the tooth surface acquired from the ingested food materials—-form acids—-decalcify the enamel—-DENTAL CARIES.
Thus the development of dental caries can be considered as a demineralization process carried out by acid forming micro organisms which metabolize carbohydrates and excrete organic acids as metabolic wastes which in turn demineralize the tooth enamel.
Dental caries is prevalent in Primary dentition ( 6months 5years) Mixed dentition (6years 12years)and Permanent dentition(above 12years) .
Signs and Symptoms
Initial lesion of dental caries appears as chalky white spot, if not attended it continues to progress with eventual collapse of enamel and appears as the frank cavity.