title: Dental caries. An infectious and transmissible disease.
abstract: Of the infectious diseases that affect humans, dental caries may be the most prevalent. Pediatric primary medical care providers are usually the first health care providers to examine the oral cavity of a child and so need to be able to recognize suspicious dental lesions. This article provides information on recognizing caries and reviews the epidemiology, pathogenesis, and treatment of caries and odontogenic infections.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral Biology, University of Alabama School of Dentistry, Birmingham, USA. caufield@cs1.dental.uab.edu
authors.forename: P W
authors.initials: PW
authors.lastname: Caufield
authors.forename: A L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Griffen
mesh_terms: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002327:Cariostatic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003729:Dental Care / Q000379:methods*; D003731:Dental Caries / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000628:therapy; D019229:Dentition, Permanent; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007223:Infant; D017053:Infection Control / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D011313:Preventive Dentistry / Q000379:methods*; D012307:Risk Factors; D013290:Streptococcal Infections / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy / Q000635:transmission; D014094:Tooth, Deciduous; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D002327:Cariostatic Agents