Dental caries is preventable, yet it continues to be the most common chronic disease in children. The price paid for dental caries is not only measured in the money spent on restorative procedures, it is also measured in the effects it has on overall health and well-being. During the early 1900s, the focus of dentistry changed from extract to restore. With the knowledge and tools available in this century, it is time to shift from restore to prevention.
Management of the caries-prone patient requires a multifaceted approach – caries risk assessment, in-office care, patient education, and at-home regimens. Fluoride therapies play an important role in the in-office and at-home fluoride treatment programs in the prevention and management of dental decay. It is an accepted but often under-utilized therapy. This program will provide the participant with an overview of caries development, the incidence, and prevalence of dental decay in various populations, and the role of in-office and at-home fluoride therapies in the management of patients who are at risk for caries development. An overview of Caries Risk Assessment will also be presented.
Learning Objectives:
- Describe the caries development process and appropriate intervention strategies.
- Utilizing data obtained through caries risk assessment techniques assign patients to the correct caries risk level.
- Develop and implement an effective in-office fluoride treatment protocol, based on appropriate patient risk for caries development.
- Develop and implement an effective at-home fluoride treatment protocol based on appropriate patient risk for caries development.
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