REVIEW ON PATHOGENESIS, PREVENTION AND TREATMENT OF DENTAL CARIES

The systemic biological functions and their coordination in a human body are very complicated but perfect to synchronize with circadian external and internal environmental changes. Similar but slightly different to other organs of human body, tooth is a unique conglomeration of soft and mineralized tissue that require controlled mineral deposition. The enamel as a hardest non vital a-cellular and a-vascular mineralized tissue, dentin as a hardest vital tissue and pulp as a specialized connective tissue lined by dentin producing odontoblasts, get self-assembled to form tooth with unique mechanical properties. The Enamel forms a very hard, thin, translucent layer of calcified tissue that covers entire anatomic crown of tooth. Roughly 95% of enamel is calcium and phosphate ions combined to make strong hydroxy-apatite crystals {Ca10(PO4))6OH2},1 to 2% of enamel is made up of organic materials, particularly enamel specific proteins, which have a high affinity for binding hydroxyl apatite crystals and remaining 4% of enamel composition is water. The paramount function of teeth is mastication and preparing food for digestion. Teeth are also essential to symmetric contour of face and agreeable expression of countenance and correct enunciation. When teeth are lost, or become dysfunctional due to some disease, a general derangement of physiologic system follows leading to many systemic and deficiency diseases.