Combating dental decay

Abstract

Dental caries or tooth decay is one of the most prevalent bacterial infectious diseases of mankind. In recent oral health surveys, more than 60% of Australian teenagers surveyed had experienced the disease and most dentate adults surveyed exhibited multiple teeth affected by caries. Treating the consequences of dental caries accounts for over 50% of the total cost of providing dental services in Australia, which in 1998 was estimated at $2.6 billion. Dental caries is a dynamic process that is initiated by microbial biofilms on the tooth surfaces (dental plaque) resulting in a disturbance of the equilibrium between tooth mineral and the surrounding plaque fluid so that over time there is a net loss of mineral from the tooth surface. This demineralisation of the enamel may ultimately lead to cavitation of the surface of the tooth and once this stage of the disease has been reached only restorative methods (fillings) can be employed to limit the spread of decay and eventual loss of the tooth.