What is a caries diagnosis?

The medical perspective of caries diagnosis is as such: “the recognition of a disease or a condition by its outward signs and symptoms.”4 It involves recognition of signs and symptoms, devising tentative hypotheses about the underlying disease based on these signs, gathering information by doing a physical examination.

How do radiographs detect caries?

The most commonly used radiographic method for detecting caries lesions is the bitewing technique. It is meant to find lesions that are hidden from a clinical visual examination, such as when a lesion is hidden by an adjacent tooth, as well as help the dental professional estimate how deep the lesion is.

How do you diagnose caries visually?

The first visual indication of caries in enamel is generally a small white lesion on smooth surfaces or a light to dark brown lesion in pits or fissures, where demineralization has occurred under the dental plaque.

Why do we need radiographic examination in dental caries detection?

Conclusions. Caries detection determined by dental radiographs is highly accurate for proximal lesions and dentine caries lesions. For initial carious lesions the test needs to be used with other more sensitive methods in populations that present with high caries risk.

What are the classification of dental caries?

Caries Classification According to Their Severity. The appearance of interproximal caries can be classified as incipient, moderate, advanced, or severe, depending on the amount of enamel and dentin involved in the caries process.

What would help you assess caries?

The Caries Risk Assessment Tool is a research-based tool used to identify the risk factors that cause dental decay. It is also used to provide recommendations to reduce the risk of future cavities. It has been well documented that dental decay affects children throughout their childhood and into their early adulthood.

Is dental caries the same as cavities?

Dental caries or cavities, more commonly known as tooth decay, are caused by a breakdown of the tooth enamel. This breakdown is the result of bacteria on teeth that breakdown foods and produce acid that destroys tooth enamel and results in tooth decay.

What bacteria causes dental caries?

Streptococcus mutans is the main cause of dental decay.

What is the role of bacteria in dental caries?

Many acidogenic and aciduric bacteria are involved in caries. Environmental acidification is the main determinant of the phenotypic and genotypic changes that occur in the microflora during caries.

How are radiographs used to diagnose caries?

6. Use of intra oral radiographs in detecting dental caries The lesion is seen in the radiographs as a radiolucent (dark) zone since the demineralized area of the tooth do not absorb as many x-ray photons as the unaffected portion.  Common radiograph of a caries 7.

Which is the most common sign of dental caries disease?

The caries lesion, the most commonly observed sign of dental caries disease, is the cumulative result of an imbalance in the dynamic demineralization and remineralization process that causes a net mineral loss over time.

Which is the best diagnostic aid for caries?

Radiography is the most common carious lesion detection aid and is based on the fact that as the caries progresses, the mineral content of enamel and dentin decreases resulting in a decrease in the attenuation of the X-ray beam as it passes through the teeth.

What is the radiographic definition of a carious lesion?

4. Initial carious lesion •Subsurface loss of mineral in the outer tooth surface •Clinical view: opaque ,dark or brownish spot chalky white spot 5.