Dental caries is a major global public health crisis affecting almost half the world’s population. It is one of the greatest unmet healthcare needs of the 21st century and is the most prevalent preventable disease condition as reported by the World Health Organization. Contemporary preventive dentistry has undergone a paradigm shift in the identification and management of carious lesions in the last decade. Incorporating preventive noninvasive therapies into treatment modalities for noncavitated caries lesions is one important step to promoting healthier lives for patients. This course will present global and national caries statistics and discuss the mechanism of action and clinical applications of fluoride, calcium-phosphate products, and peptide P11-4. Peptide P11-4 (Curodont Repair Credentis; now manufactured by vVARDIS; Switzerland) is a promising agent on the market for the treatment of enamel (early, initial) caries lesions because it will regenerate damaged tissue, helping patients avoid more advanced and invasive restorative procedures. This course has it all, from fluoride to peptides!
Learning Objectives
At the conclusion of this course, the oral healthcare professional will be able to:
- Define and identify a noncavitated and cavitated caries lesion, demineralization, and remineralization.
- Recognize global and national dental caries health statistics
- Identify the etiology of dental caries and relate the effects to the histological changes that occur in enamel
- Select the appropriate chemotherapeutic intervention based on patient presentation for the treatment of noncavitated and cavitated caries lesions
