THE SURGEON GENERAL'S REPORT ON AMERICA'S ORAL HEALTH: OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE DENTAL PROFESSION

Developing primary health clinical teams for public oral health services in Tasmania

“…22 Both the USA and UK have responded to the disparities seen in oral health with government policies. 23,24 Despite some philosophical differences in approach, features common to both policies include higher emphasis on assessing patients' risk of oral disease as well as prevention, health promotion and integrating oral health into general health. Coordinated research and evaluation by a diverse group of researchers will play a valuable role in establishing evidence for change, especially when the long-term effects may be difficult to detect.…”

Selective Membrane Disruption: Mode of Action of C16G2, a Specifically Targeted Antimicrobial Peptide

“…Cariogenesis is innocuous in its pathogenesis, leading to tooth loss and health issues that affect every part of the human body (23,26). Dental caries are not life threatening but result in a reduction in the quality of life and a significant financial burden on those affected, costing over $90 billion annually in the United States alone (2,10). Currently, treatment consists of management through extraction or restoration of the affected tooth, while caries prevention centers on treating the symptoms of the disease (such as reducing demineralization through the use of fluoride) or treating the total bacterial load in the oral cavity by nonselective means such as aseptic mouth rinses or indiscriminant topical antibiotics (1,16,37).…”

“…Though effective in the short term, current interventions only slow caries progression. Despite our best efforts, dental cariogenesis remains entrenched within all age and socio-economic groups, affecting uninsured and Native American populations most severely in the United States (10). Clearly, a novel approach to treating caries is required to truly prevent this disease.…”

The Role of Remineralizing and Anticaries Agents in Caries Management

“…In spite of millions of dollars of research and many improvements in treatment approaches in recent decades, caries is still the predominant disease, both in the general population and in special-needs patients (Evans and Kleinman, 2000;Casamassimo et al, 2009). It has been well-documented that major reductions in the prevalence and incidence of dental caries have been achieved over the past 30 years (Macek et al, 2004;Marthaler, 2004;Beltran-Aguilar et al, 2005;Dye et al, 2007).…”