Dentists role in the caries control program

The success of a dental caries control program depends to a great extent on the interest and
cooperation of the patient and the patients caretakers. Rampant caries should not be viewed as a
hopeless problem. Diagnostic, therapeutic, and preventive measures are available to control it. In
the clinical management of rampant caries, the dentists role consists of seeking and eliminating
the cause to the extent possible. This includes trying to correct inappropriate habits or deficiency
states that may be contributing factors, restoring the salvageable teeth to good form and function,
and, finally, making use of all available therapeutic preventive and control measures in an
established, ongoing manner.

Successful management of all active dental carries problems also requires careful and complete
dental and medical history taking, the use of currently accepted diagnostic aids, initiation of a
comprehensive preventive program, the application of sound principles of restorative dentistry,
and establishment of regular recall schedule for maintenance and reemphasis of the preventive
procedures. The recall appointment should be set at each visit based on the clinicians judgement
of the patients risk for futures disease at that time. [1]

Importance of caries prevention in adolescents

Most or all of the permanent teeth, with the exception of the third molars, have erupted by early
adolescence. Reducing the susceptibility of these teeth to decay is paramount. Because oral
hygiene and dietary practices among adolescents are often capricious, fluoride continues to play

an integral part in the preventive dental program plan. [2] (especially since they are all wearing
braces now ha-ha)