What Happens to the Structure of the Tooth Flashcards
What are the components of caries?
Dental plaque (biofilm)
Diet
Tooth
Time
What affects sugar attack most?
frequency of sugar intake rather than quantity
Why is sucrose more cariogenic than glucose?
sucrose is used by bacteria to form plaque while glucose is not directly utilised
What do streptococic/bacteria require for tooth adherence?
teeth coated in protein (mucin)
Saliva acts as primer
What do early bacteria species do?
prepare the space for the next coloniser
What is the two step process in enamel lesions?
Surface goes into remineralisation creating white spots
Deep caries still present in sub-surface region. This is why we don’t probe surface white spots
If lesion has not reached dentine?
it can be controlled (remineralised/ arrested)
What are characteristics of enamel lesions?
- Subsurface loss
- Enlarged gaps between rods due to interrod demineralisation
- Rod length preserved
What do the enlarged gaps between rods cause?
compromised gap for caries
What is the critical pH?
5.5
What does brushing teeth do?
does not remove biofilm but instead disrupts it
What is the critical element?
acid is maintained by biofilm .
the presence of fermentable carbohydrates, especially sucrose (table sugar) and other dietary sugars, is considered the critical element that drives the caries process.
What does mature plaque contain?
mature plaque (build up) contains microorganisms that like acid
What does immature plaque contain
contains all other microorganisms
What is the balance between?
remineralisation
demineralisation
