Is It Inevitable?

Preventive strategies enhance protective factors and reduce pathologic factors to balance risk. Disease can be halted and early lesions remineralized.

Remineralization & Demineralization

• Caries is a dynamic process involving both protective factors and pathologic factors.
• Teeth are subjected to an ongoing cycle of demineralization and remineralization.
• To help prevent or reverse the caries process and tip the balance towards "no caries", we can:
  • Decrease the likelihood of the child being colonized by mutans streptococci by providing preventive care and treatment for mothers.
  • Limit the number of times the teeth are subjected to acid attacks by decreasing the frequency of consumption of dietary carbohydrates.
  • Make teeth more resistant to acid through the use of fluoride.
  • Enhance remineralization through the use of fluoride.