Advanced Dental Caries

Armstrong WG (1964) Modification of the properties and composition of the dentin matrix caused by dental caries. Advances Oral Biol 1, 309-332. 

The most common oral condition and dental emergency is dental caries, which is a destructive disease of the hard tissues of the teeth due to bacterial infection with Streptococcus mutans and other bacteria. It is characterized by destruction of enamel and dentine. Dental decay presents as opaque white areas of enamel with grey undertones and in more advanced cases, brownish discoloured cavitations. Dental caries is initially asymptomatic and pain does not occur until the decay impinges on the pulp, and an inflammation develops. Treatment of caries involves removal of the softened and infected hard tissues, sealing of exposed dentines and restoration of the lost tooth structure with porcelain, silver, amalgam, composite plastic, gold etc. 

D.T. Zero, M. Eontana, E.A. Martinez-MiUer, A. Ferreira-Zandona, A. Ando, C. Gonzalez-Cabezas, S. Bayne, The biology, prevention, diagnosis and treatment of dental caries scientific advances in the United States, J. Am. Dent. Assoc. 140 (2009) 255. 

As with glass-ionomer cements, flnoride release from polyacid-modified composite resins is snstained for long periods of time [23] and is enhanced by placing the polyacid-modified composite resin in acidic storage media [25,36]. This property has been snggested to be beneficial in the case of resin-modified glass-ionomers [37], since it wonld lead to enhanced release of protective fluoride ion under the very conditions that promote dental caries. A similar argnment can be advanced for polyacid-modified composite resins, and it may be that this ability to release extra fluoride under conditions of low pH is beneficial clinically. 

Dental Caries and Fluorine, American Association for the Advancement of Science, Washington, D. C., Ill pp., 1946. 

Manji F, Fejerskov O, Baelum Y Nagelkerke N Dental calculus and caries experience in 15-65 year olds with no access to dental care in ten Cate JM (ed) Recent Advances in the Study of Dental Calculus. Oxford, IRL Press, 1989, pp 223-233. 

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