Dental caries is a transmissible pathologic infectious process in which a cariogenic biofilm, in the presence of a more pathological than protective oral status leads to demineralization of the hard dental tissues. The occlusal surface of posterior teeth represents, due to its anatomy, the most exposed place to dental caries. Even if the global ratio of such disease decreased in industrialized ...

Dental plaque is a dynamic microbial biofilm ecosystem that comprises hundreds of species including difficult-to-cultivate bacteria. We observed the assembly of a plaque bacterial community through 16S rRNA gene analysis. Plaque samples that accumulated on a hydroxyapatite disk for 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 7 days with saliva on day 0 were collected from 19 young adults using a removable resin splint....

Introduction: Permanent first molar is the most important unit in the chewing system. Ear-ly loss of first molars can significantly reduce chewing efficiency, increase overbite, lead to premature eruption of the permanent second and third molars, and displacement of adjacent teeth. The purpose of this study was to determine the associated factors of permanent first molar caries in 7-9 years old...

PURPOSE Caries, a social ailment, is one of the diseases of civilization of the 20th century. In Poland, the incidence rate of caries is very high both in the young and adults. The major etiological factors of caries are: improper oral hygiene, diet based on carbohydrate-rich and highly processed food products, neglect of prophylaxis and dental check-up. The aim of the study was to assess denta...

The microbial and dietary factors that drive caries have been studied scientifically for 120 years. Frequent and/or excessive sugar (especially sucrose) consumption has been ascribed a central role in caries causation, while Streptococcus mutans appeared to play the key role in metabolising sucrose to produce lactic acid, which can demineralise enamel. Many authors described caries as a transmi...

Background: Dental caries is highly prevalent and a significant public health problem among children throughout the world. Epidemiological data regarding the prevalence of dental caries among pre-school children in our country is very limited. The objective of this study is to determine the frequency of dental caries among pre-school children of Saddar Town, Karachi, Pakistan and the factors le...

BACKGROUND Mutans streptococci (Streptococcus mutans and S. sobrinus) are considered to be major etiologic agents of dental caries. Using a polymerase chain reaction method, we detected those bacteria from 145 outpatients (6-30 years old) with intellectual disabilities (ID) and their presence was compared with the incidence of dental caries. METHODS Plaque samples were collected from all erup...

This study aimed to assess the association between dental caries, socioeconomic individual and contextual factors in 12-years-old children. A representative sample of 1,134 children enrolled in public schools from Santa Maria, RS, Brazil, was obtained from a multistage random sampling. Four calibrated dentists examined participants at schools. Data about dental caries (DMF-T index) and dental p...

AIM The present study was designed to investigate oral hygiene habits and fluoride use in cystic fibrosis (CF) homozygotes, heterozygotes and healthy controls as a function of caries experience (DMF-T) and oral cleanliness (dental plaque, dental calculus and gingival bleeding). METHODS Oral hygiene habits in CF homozygotes (n=42), heterozygotes (n=48) and healthy controls (n=62) were used in ...

UNLABELLED This article discusses the possible cariostatic mechanisms of the action of fluoride. In the past, fluoride inhibition of caries was ascribed to reduced solubility of enamel due to incorporation of fluoride (F-) into the enamel minerals. The present evidence from clinical and laboratory studies suggests that the caries-preventive mode of action of fluoride is mainly topical. There is...