CAMBRA: Caries Management

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Questions and Answers

According to the CAMBRA protocol, how does the minimally invasive approach impact the treatment of cavitated caries lesions?

CAMBRA's minimally invasive approach focuses on managing caries lesions at a very early stage, before they reach the cavitated stage, without the need for drilling by using preventive measures.

What is the primary goal of using the CAMBRA (Caries Management By Risk Assessment) approach in dentistry?

The primary goal is to prevent, reverse, and repair early damage to teeth by using non-destructive risk-based caries strategies rather than focusing solely on restorative treatment.

Explain how an increase in risk factors and decrease in protective factors contribute to caries progression, according to the CAMBRA model.

When risk factors outweigh protective factors, the imbalance leads to acid production, demineralization, and ultimately, caries progression. Conversely, when protective factors are dominant, they help neutralize acids, remineralize enamel, and prevent caries formation.

In the context of CAMBRA, what lifestyle adjustments might a dentist recommend to a patient at risk of developing dental caries, and why are these changes important?

A dentist might suggest changes such as reducing sugar intake, improving oral hygiene practices, increasing fluoride exposure, and using antibacterial rinses. These changes are important because they shift the balance from caries progression to caries prevention by reducing risk factors and enhancing protective factors. Signup and view all the answers

Describe a scenario where the use of antibacterial therapy would be recommended as a supplement to fluoride therapy in treating caries, according to the CAMBRA approach.

Antibacterial therapy would be recommended alongside fluoride therapy for patients at high- and extreme-caries-risk, particularly when there's a high quantity of cariogenic bacteria. This combined approach targets both the bacterial cause and strengthens the tooth's resistance to acid attacks. Signup and view all the answers

How does CAMBRA's emphasis on identifying and addressing risk factors differentiate it from traditional restorative treatment approaches for dental caries?

CAMBRA emphasizes caries risk assessment alongside disease indicators, risk factors, and preventive factors. This proactive and preventive approach is meant to treat caries by finding non-destructive risk based caries strategies rather than focusing on restorative treatment alone. Signup and view all the answers

Explain how reduced salivary flow (xerostomia) can elevate a patient's caries risk.?

Saliva is a protective factor due to the minerals and buffering agents in its contents. Lack of saliva causes absence of these protective factors. Reduced salivary flow leads to a dry oral environment, which decreases the neutralization of acids, reduces mineral availability for remineralization, and impairs the clearance of food debris and bacteria. Signup and view all the answers

Outline how the frequency of sugar intake influences caries risk and provide an example of a specific dietary recommendation a dentist might make to mitigate this risk.

Frequent sugar intake increases the time oral bacteria has to produce acids that demineralize tooth enamel. A dentist might recommend limiting sugary snacks and beverages between meals, opting for sugar-free alternatives, and drinking water to help neutralize acids and clear food debris. Signup and view all the answers

Differentiate between the treatment recommendations for a moderate-risk patient versus an extreme-risk patient, according to the CAMBRA protocol.

The CAMBRA protocol suggests a different approach for each caries risk assessment level. An example for moderate risk is OTC toothpaste with fluoride and an OTC fluoride rinse, while someone with extreme risk might need prescription toothpaste, chlorhexidine gluconate rinse, and a fluoride varnish. Signup and view all the answers

CAMBRA includes carrying out noninvasive therapies and minimally invasive restorative procedures for tooth structure conservation. What is an example of minimally invasive restorative procedure?

An example of a minimally invasive restorative procedure is a sealant, since a sealant consists of a material that bonds to the tooth's enamel to prevent bacteria or food from getting in the pits and fissures. Signup and view all the answers

Flashcards

What is CAMBRA?

An evidence-based approach for preventing, reversing, and repairing early tooth damage by using risk-based assessment and strategies.

What are CAMBRA requirements from a dentist?

Disease indicators, risk factors, and protective factors.