CARIOLOGY QUIZ

Dental Caries Latin Meaning

Dry Rot

Definition of Dental Caries

• Slow disintegration of any biological hard tissue due to bacterial action

• Affect humans since prehistoric times

• Found in almost every population studied

Ubiquitous Dental Caries

Present in all populations and is as old as mankind

Defined it as a localized post eruptive, pathological process of external origin involving softening of the hard tooth tissue and proceeding to the formation of a cavity

WHO

Defined it as the chemical dissolution  of the calcium salts, first of the enamel then of the dentin by lactic acid

GV BLACK

Gave his definition as an irreversible microbial disease of the calcified tissues of the teeth characterized by demineralization of the inorganic portion and destruction of the organic substance of the tooth

SHAFER

Dental caries is a disease involving hard portions of the teeth exposed in the oral cavity and is characterized  by disintegration of enamel, dentin, and cementum forming open cavities

KESS AND ASH

Defined dental caries as an illness due to specific infectious agents or toxic products that arise through the transmission of that agent or its products from an infected person, animal, or reservoir to a susceptible host

LAST

Defined it as an infectious microbiologic disease of the teeth that results in localized dissolution and destruction of calcified tissues

STURDEVANT

Caries is perceived to be a prolonged imbalance in the oral cavity such that the factors favoring demineralization of enamel and dentin overwhelm the factors that favor remineralization and repair of those tissues

GJ MOUNT

Dental caries can be defined as progressive, irreversible bacterial damage to teeth exposed to the oral envrionment

CAWSON

Caries is a disease of the calcified tissues of the teeth caused by the action of micro-organisms on fermentable carbohydrates

KIDD AND SMITH

Dental caries is an infectious microbiological disease that results in localized dissolution and destruction of the calcified tissues of the teeth and progresses as a series of exacerbations and remissions

LUNDEEN

Dental caries or tooth decay, is a pathological process of localized destruction of tooth tissues by microorganisms

ERNEST NEWBURN

Dental caries is a process of enamel or dentin dissolution that is caused by microbial action at the tooth surface and is mediated by the physiochemical flow of water dissolved ions

OSTROM

Dental caries is an infectious disease caused by an imbalance of oral micro-organisms leading to acid production and subsequently dissolving the hard tissues of the tooth

SIKRI

Dental caries is essentially a progressive loss by acid dissolution of the apatite (mineral) component of the enamel then the dentin, or of the cementum, then dentin

HUME

Dental caries is a complex disease caused by an imbalance in physiologic equilibrium between tooth mineral and biofilm fluid

FEJERSKOV AND NYVAD

Dental caries is a multifactorial disease that starts with microbiological shifts within the complex biofilm. It is affected by salivary flow and composition, exposure to fluoride, consumption of dietary sugars, and preventive behaviors, like cleaning the teeth. However, it is mainly a disease that dates back to antiquity and has also occurred in populations that have never ised sugar or processed foods 

SELWITZ

Dental caries, also known as tooth decay/ cavity, is a disease where ________ (enamel, dentin, and cementum). These tissues progressively break down, producing dental cavities (holes in the teeth)

bacterial processes damage hard tooth structures

Dental caries, also known as tooth decay/ cavity, is a disease where bacterial processes damage hard tooth structures (enamel, dentin, and cementum). These tissues progressively break down, producing ____ (holes in the teeth)

dental cavities

Decay of teeth due to _______ through the enamel to the dentin

penetration of bacteria

A disease of teeth in which ______ in the mouth to an acid that erodes the tooth commonly called a cavity

micro-organisms convert sugar

A disease of teeth in which micro-organisms convert sugar in the mouth to an __ that erodes the tooth commonly called a cavity

acid

A destructive process causing ____ and leading to the continued destruction of enamel and dentin

decalcification of tooth enamel

Caries can be classified in several ways based on

location, cavitation status and activity status

CARIES LESION

Tooth demineralization as a result of the caries process

ACCORDING TO LOCATION

1. CORONAL CARIES

2. ROOT CARIES

3. CORONAL CARIES

4. OCCLUSAL CARIES

5. PROXIMAL CARIES

6. ROOT CARES

CORONAL CARIES LOCATION

1. SMOOTH-SURFACE CARIES

2. PIT AND FISSURE CARIES

CORONAL CARIES

A caries lesion on any surface of the anatomic tooth crown

ROOT CARIES

A caries lesion in the root surface

CORONAL CARIES

A caries lesion on any surface of the anatomic tooth crown

SMOOTH-SURFACE CARIES

A caries lesion on a smooth tooth surface

PIT AND FISSURE CARIES

A caries lesion on the pit and fissure area

OCCLUSAL CARIES

A caries lesion on the occlusal surface

PROXIMAL CARIES

A caries lesion on the proximal surface

ROOT CARIES

• A caries lesion in the root surface

• Also referred to as “cemental caries”

ACCORDING TO AFFECTED TOOTH TISSUES

1. ENAMEL CARIES

2. DENTIN CARIES

ACCORDING TO LOCATION ORIGIN

1. PRIMARY CARIES

2. SECONDARY OR RECURRENT CARIES

3. RESIDUAL CARIES

ACCORDING TO CAVITATION STATUS

1. CAVITATED CARIES LESION

2. NON-CAVITATED CARIES LESION

ACCORDING TO ACTIVITY STATUS

1. ACTIVE CARIES LESION

2. INACTIVE CARIES LESION

3. RAMPAN CARIES

ENAMEL CARIES

A caries lesion in the enamel, has not reached the dentin 

DENTIN CARIES

A caries lesion in the dentin

PRIMARY CARIES

A caries lesion not adjacent to an existing restoration or crown

SECONDARY OR RECURRENT CARIES

A caries lesion adjacent to an existing restoration, crown or sealant

RESIDUAL CARIES

Carious tissue not completely excavated before placing a restoration

Difficulty to differentiate from secondary caries

CAVITATED CARIES LESION

A caries lesion that results in the breaking of the integrity of the tooth, or a cavitation

NON-CAVITATED CARIES LESION

A caries lesion that has not been cavitated. In enamel caries, non-cavitated lesions are also referred to as “white spot” lesions

ACTIVE CARIES LESION

A lesion considered to be biologically active, a lesion in which tooth demineralization is in frank activity at the time of examination

INACTIVE CARIES LESION

A caries lesion considered to be biologically inactive at the time of examination; tooth demineralization caused by caries may have happened in the past but has stopped and is currently stalled. 

Referred to as ARRESTED CARIES: caries process has been arrested but the clinical signs of the lesion itself are still present

INACTIVE CARIES LESION

RAMPANT CARIES

Presence of extensive and multiple cavitated and active caries lesions in the same person.

Rampant caries are typically associated with

“baby bottle caries”, “radiation therapy caries”, “meth-mouth caries”