Caries is the most prevalent disease in the world. It is characterised by the destruction of the tooth’s tissue caused by several factors (sugar intake, lack of oral hygiene, general aetiology…) and can lead to pain and infections.
The treatment consists of removing the affected dental tissue and replacing it with a restorative material. At the Stoma Clinic, we use composite resin as our material of choice.
It is desirable to encourage early detection of caries through ongoing and regular check-ups, especially among the young, because the enamels are not yet formed.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
WHAT DOES CONSERVATIVE DENTISTRY INVOLVE?
Conservative dentistry involves the removal of the dental tissue affected by caries and the restoration of damaged cavity through dental materials to restore the tooth to function and aesthetics appropriate.
Regular check-ups and appropriate radiological examinations enable early detection of caries, preventing endodontics treatment or worse, in the case of extraction.
WHAT IS CARIES?
Dental caries is a tooth infection, a destructive bacterial disease caused by a series of microbes that live in our mouth. When eating, the ingested sugars that remain in the mouth are metabolised by plaque bacteria and , during the metabolising process, produce acids that make the intraoral pH decrease. The drop in pH attacks the mineral structure of the enamel, leading to its demineralisation.
Plaque bacteria form an ecological system made up of a bacterial community, rich in aerobic and anaerobic microorganisms, which develop on the dental surfaces with insufficient cleaning. Streptococcus mutans is a regular organism of our mouth and the main germ that colonizes the oral cavity. Caries are therefore caused by the confluence of several factors, mainly acid-producing bacteria, susceptible teeth, fermentable carbohydrates (sweets, milk, etc.) the length of time the teeth are exposed to acids and the quality of oral hygiene. This all creates a perfect environment for the rapid spread of bacteria that create the acids that break the tooth’s enamel.
