Current Panorama of Dental Caries

Abstract

Dental caries is a dynamical, multifactorial, commonly chronical process that affects one or several zones on the tooth surface. In 2012, WHO reported that 60-90% of the children and almost 100% of the adults in the world had dental caries. In Mexico, the System of Epidemiological Monitoring of Oral Pathologies (2015) reported that in a number of states, 93.2% of the population had dental caries. This review stresses that at present, additional to the classic factors involved in the etiology of dental caries, the participation of socioeconomic, educational, physiological factors as well genetic predisposition are considered; also, its association with systemic diseases, type 2 diabetes, for example, and with serum levels of iron and ferritin in children. Regarding diagnosis, the determination of serum iron level is considered, as well as the use of Diagnodent and digital infrared transilluminator. For the treatment of dental caries, antimicrobial photodynamical therapy, ozone therapy and peptide P11-4are proposed. Nowadays, in order to prevent caries in child population, the application of the Basic Research Factors Questionnaire (BRFQ) is proposed.