Managing caries in the 21st century: today's terminology to treat yesterday's disease.
BACKGROUND
For more than a century, dentistry has been treating the disease of dental caries largely by restoring teeth. Research in the microbiological and chemical mechanisms of the caries process over the past two decades suggests a fundamental rethinking of solely using this type of treatment approach.


METHODS
A clinician's understanding of how the field has advanced has been impeded by the inconsistent use of dental terminology. This article will focus on defining dental caries and its related terms.


CONCLUSIONS
The term "caries," although used very liberally in the field, should be further defined in its context of use to avoid confusion, until which time an accepted international terminology system is developed.


CONCLUSIONS
Reducing or eliminating ambiguity in terminology used in managing dental caries is the first step in consistent diagnosis, detection, and finally treatment.
Young
Douglas A
DA
Department of Restorative Dentistry, University of the Pacific, Arthur A Dugoni School of Dentistry, San Francisco 94115, USA.
D003141:Communicable Diseases / Q000382:microbiology; D003731:Dental Caries / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000382:microbiology / Q000628:therapy; D006801:Humans; D011859:Radiography; D009626:Terminology as Topic