Evidence-based caries, risk assessment, and treatment.
Dental caries is a dietary and host-modified biofilm disease process, transmissible early in life that, if left untreated, will cause destruction of dental hard tissues. If allowed to progress, the disease will result in the development of caries lesions on tooth surfaces, which initially are noncavitated (eg, white spots), and eventually can progress to cavitation. The "medical model," where the etiologic disease-driving agents are balanced against protective factors, in combination with risk assessment, offers the possibility of patient-centered disease prevention and management before there is irreversible damage done to the teeth. This article discusses how to use evidence supporting risk assessment and management strategies for the caries process.
Fontana
Margherita
M
Department of Preventive and Community Dentistry, Indiana University School of Dentistry, 1121 W. Michigan Street, Room DS-406, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA. mfontan@iupui.edu
Young
Douglas A
DA
Wolff
Mark S
MS
D003731:Dental Caries / Q000209:etiology* / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000628:therapy; D003733:Dental Caries Susceptibility; D003793:Dental Restoration, Permanent; D018450:Disease Progression; D055094:Evidence-Based Dentistry; D006801:Humans; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D018570:Risk Assessment