32 Questions
What occurs when the pH of the mouth remains high for a sufficient amount of time?
Complete remineralization
What is the role of saliva in the mouth?
It promotes remineralization
Which type of sugar has a longer exposure time in the mouth?
Complex sugars like those found in chocolate
What is the result of acidogenic bacteria fermenting CHO?
Production of organic acid
What is the effect of fluoride on the tooth?
It makes the tooth more resistant to acid
What increases the potential of starch to break down into sugars and contribute to the caries process?
The retentive properties of the food
What can prolong the clearance time of carbohydrates in the mouth?
Retentive factors in the dentition
What is the relationship between the frequency of sugar consumption and dental caries?
Dental caries increases with increasing frequency of sugar intake
What is the practical way to speed up carbohydrate clearance in the mouth?
Tooth brushing immediately after a meal
What is the effect of liquid sugars on the tooth?
They have a limited contact time with the tooth surface
What is the effect of the acidity of foods on the teeth?
It precipitates erosion
What is the result of demineralization and remineralization occurring numerous times daily?
The tooth becomes more prone to caries
What is the effect of calcium and phosphate on the tooth?
They promote remineralization
What is a characteristic of sugar-free gums?
They stimulate saliva production
Why are dried fruits more cariogenic than fresh fruits?
The drying process breaks the cellular structure of the fruit releasing free sugars
What is a characteristic of cheese in relation to dental caries?
It is non-cariogenic and has anti-cariogenic properties
What is the role of dietary sugars in dental caries?
They are the major dietary factor affecting dental caries prevalence and progression
What is the critical pH value for demineralization of the tooth?
Between 5.2 to 5.5
What is the effect of high frequency of CHO intake with regular pH drops?
It favors the proliferation of Streptococcus mutans
What is the role of Sucrose in dental caries?
It is the most cariogenic sugar because its metabolism produces acid
What is the effect of low pH on tooth structure?
It results in demineralization of the inorganic portion of the tooth
What is the relationship between cariogenic bacteria and dental caries?
Cariogenic bacteria metabolize dietary sugars to acid, contributing to dental caries
What is the role of Streptococcus mutans in dental caries?
It is a cariogenic bacteria that utilizes dietary sugars to produce acid
What is the condition necessary for tooth remineralization to occur?
High pH due to lack of substrate for bacterial metabolism
What is the effect of milk consumption on dental caries?
It is non-cariogenic and has an anti-cariogenic effect
What is the effect of fibrous foods on dental caries?
They increase salivary flow and reduce caries
What is the effect of fat on dental caries?
It reduces cariogenicity of food
What is the effect of black tea on dental caries?
It reduces cariogenicity of a sugar-rich diet
What is one of the ways fluoride protects against dental caries?
It increases resistance of teeth to demineralization
What is the effect of topical fluoride application on dental caries in children?
It reduces caries by 20-40%
What are sugar substitutes that are non-caloric and not metabolized to acids by microorganisms?
Non-caloric sweeteners
What is a sugar substitute that is safe for teeth and less cariogenic?
Sorbitol
Study Notes
Role of Diet
- Diet plays a central role in the development of dental caries
- Dietary sugars are the major dietary factor affecting dental caries prevalence and progression
- Sucrose is the most cariogenic sugar because it produces acid and is utilized by Mutans streptococci to produce extracellular polysaccharide glucan
- Glucan polymers enable Mutans streptococci to adhere firmly to teeth
Caries Mechanism
- Acidogenic bacteria ferment CHO, producing organic acids that diffuse into enamel, dentine, or cementum, and partially dissolve the carbonated hydroxyapatite mineral crystals
- If the process continues, minerals (calcium and phosphate) diffuse out of the tooth, leading to cavitation
- Demineralization can be reversed by calcium and phosphate, together with fluoride, diffusing into the tooth and depositing a new layer on the crystal remnants in the non-cavitated lesion
- This new mineral crystal layer is more resistant to acid compared with original hydroxyapatite mineral
Dietary Factors and Dental Caries
- Frequency and amount of ingestion of dietary sugars are important in the etiology of caries
- Food form influences the duration of exposure and retention of the food on the teeth
- Oral clearance is affected by retentive properties of food, such as cookies and chips, which increase the potential for starch to break down into sugars and contribute to the caries process
- Sugar alcohol-based products, such as sorbitol, xylitol, mannitol, erythritol, and isomalt, stimulate saliva, increase the clearance of sugars and other fermentable CHO, and increase the buffering capacity
Protective Factors and Dental Caries
- Cheese has anti-cariogenic properties, stimulating salivary secretion, increasing plaque calcium concentration, and adsorbing protein (casein) on the enamel surface
- Milk contains lactose, which may be classified as cariogenic, but is the least cariogenic of dietary sugars, and also contains calcium, phosphorus, and casein, which inhibit caries
- Fibrous foods mechanically stimulate salivary flow
- Fat reduces cariogenicity of food, forms protective barriers on the enamel, surrounds carbohydrates making them less available, and speeds up their removal from the mouth
- Black tea contains fluoride, increasing plaque fluoride concentration and reducing the cariogenicity of a sugar-rich diet
This quiz covers the role of diet in the development of dental caries, including the effects of dietary sugars and other factors. It also explores the caries mechanism and protective factors.
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