Changing Concepts in Dental Treatment

Professor Mark Wolff of New York University School of Dentistry presented the results of various research carried out in his dental school:

1. The lifespan of dental restorations in the US is on average 8 years.
2. The more frequently a patient changed dentist, the more frequently their restorations change. Changing restorations invariably lead to larger restorations.
3. The more a tooth is cut, the more it is weakened.
4. In the 1960s, 2/3 of adults over 65 had no teeth. Today, 2/3 of adults over 65 have on average 17 teeth.
5. Enamel (outermost layer of the tooth) dissolves at pH 5.5 while dentine (inner layer of the tooth) dissolves at a less acidic pH of 6.2. Contrast this with the pH of Coke Lite (pH 3.2), Sprite (pH 3.2), Red wine (pH 3.0) and White wine (pH 3.2).
6. The latest tooth decay management strategy include (in order of preference):

• Home care instructions
• Dietary counselling
• Fluoride toothpaste
• Supplemental fluoride (at home and in-office)
• Calcium products (dental formulation)
• Antimicrobials
• Restore tooth

As can be seen, having to do a restoration on decayed teeth is the least preferred choice of treatment. All the other strategies are designed to heal the tooth. So don't be surprised if the next time a dentist tells you that you have a decayed tooth, the dentist may not even restore your tooth. Instead he may adopt the strategies as outlined above.

We hope that this information is useful for our patients.