Clinical threshold for carious tissue removal.

There would appear to be little logic in the current practice of caries removal. Biologically, it would appear to be potentially damaging even to attempt to remove all infected dentin in a symptomless, vital tooth. It is neither possible nor necessary to achieve this.

Effect of biofilm growth on expression of surface proteins of Actinomyces naeslundii genospecies 2.

The predominant surface proteins of biofilm and planktonic Actinomyces naeslundii, a primary colonizer of the tooth surface, were examined. Seventy-nine proteins (the products of 52 genes) were identified in biofilm cells, and 30 of these, including adhesins, chaperones, and stress-response proteins, were significantly up-regulated relative to planktonic cells.

The treatment of deep dentine caries lesions.

Unlabelled: This paper discusses the excavation of deep caries lesions, focusing on indirect pulp-capping and the stepwise excavation approach. The concept of a modified and less invasive stepwise excavation is presented, based on considerations of caries pathology. The aim of the first excavation is primarily to make a change within the cariogenic environment, and not to remove carious dentine close to the pulp because this risks an iatrogenic pulp exposure.

Effect of the environment on genotypic diversity of Actinomyces naeslundii and Streptococcus oralis in the oral biofilm.

The genotypic diversity of Actinomyces naeslundii genospecies 2 (424 isolates) and Streptococcus oralis (446 isolates) strains isolated from two sound approximal sites in all subjects who were either caries active (seven subjects) or caries free (seven subjects) was investigated by using the repetitive extragenic palindromic PCR. The plaque from the caries-active subjects harbored significantly greater proportions of mutans streptococci and lactobacilli and a smaller proportion of A. naeslundii organisms than the plaque sampled from the caries-free subjects.

In vitro validation of carious dentin removed using different excavation criteria.

Purpose: To compare directly the extent of cavity preparation instigated by either clinical hardness or a caries detector dye. Caries removal was histologically validated against the autofluorescence of carious dentin within the same samples.

Methods: 50 human molars were sectioned longitudinally through occlusal lesions, color photomicrographs obtained and the pre-excavation autofluorescent signatures captured using a confocal laser scanning microscope (488 nm excitation, > 515 nm emission).

The effect of medicated chewing gums on oral health in frail older people: a 1-year clinical trial.

Objectives: To determine the effects of a medicated chewing gum on the oral health of frail older people.

Design: A controlled, double-blind trial using three groups based on random allocation of residential homes.

Setting: Sixteen residential homes in West Hertfordshire, England.

Relating visual and radiographic ranked scoring systems for occlusal caries detection to histological and microbiological evidence.

This study compared a visual ranked scoring system and a radiographic ranked scoring system for occlusal caries detection with the level of infection of dentin. Seventy-five third-molars, designated for extraction, were professionally cleaned. Caries was scored according to a visual ranked scoring system at a selected site in the groove-fossa system.