Terminology of Dental Caries and Dental Caries Management: Consensus Report of a Workshop Organized by ORCA and Cariology Research Group of IADR

Abstract

A 2-day workshop of ORCA and the IADR Cariology Research Group was organized to discuss and reach consensus on definitions of the most commonly used terms in cariology. The aims were to identify and to select the most commonly used terms of dental caries and dental caries management and to define them based on current concepts. Terms related to definition, diagnosis, risk assessment, and monitoring of dental caries were included. The Delphi process was used to establish terms to be considered using the nominal group method favored by consensus. Of 222 terms originally suggested by six cariologists from different countries, a total of 59 terms were reviewed after removing duplicates and unnecessary words. Sixteen experts in cariology took part in the process of reaching consensus about the definitions of the selected caries terms. Decisions were made following thorough “round table” discussions of each term and confirmed by secret electronic voting. Full agreement (100%) was reached on 17 terms, while the definitions of 6 terms were below the agreed 80% threshold of consensus. The suggested terminology is recommended for use in research, in public health, as well as in clinical practice.

How to Intervene in the Caries Process: Early Childhood Caries – A Systematic Review

“…ECC is worldwide and a highly prevalent disease [Chen et al, 2019] and should be considered a relevant burden for the children and their families [Thomson, 2016]. ECC is characterized as "the early onset of caries in young children with often fast progression which can finally result in complete destruction of the primary dentition" [Machiulskiene et al, 2019]. The aetiology of ECC is quite clear: high sugar intake usually via a nursing bottle and insufficient or no oral hygiene, as parents do not brush or not well enough, leading to an atypical pattern of caries attack, particularly on smooth surfaces of upper anterior teeth in young children [Drury et al, 1999;Tinanoff et al, 2019;Wyne, 1999;Machiulskiene et al, 2019].…”

“…ECC is characterized as "the early onset of caries in young children with often fast progression which can finally result in complete destruction of the primary dentition" [Machiulskiene et al, 2019]. The aetiology of ECC is quite clear: high sugar intake usually via a nursing bottle and insufficient or no oral hygiene, as parents do not brush or not well enough, leading to an atypical pattern of caries attack, particularly on smooth surfaces of upper anterior teeth in young children [Drury et al, 1999;Tinanoff et al, 2019;Wyne, 1999;Machiulskiene et al, 2019]. In contrast to the ECC classification regarding typical clinical patterns [Wyne, 1999], the epidemiological ECC classification of ECC records any carious lesions in primary teeth in children younger than 6 years [AAPD classification].…”

How to intervene in the caries process: proximal caries in adolescents and adults—a systematic review and meta-analysis

“…These control groups were included in our assessment of non-operative treatments. In studies from Germany [11,12,14], the vast majority of enamel and even dentin lesions did not progress into a different lesion status within 3 years when treated non-operatively, and even dental subtraction radiography detected that about 60% of the lesions in young adults remained stable. Even when no improvement of plaque and gingivitis scores was observed over 3 years indicating that oral Table 1 Summary of included studies for the review on how to intervene in the caries process in approximal caries in adolescents and adults with non-operative/non-invasive treatment…”

“…A range of treatment options for managing proximal lesions are available, including non-operative/non-invasive and minimally/micro-invasive approaches as well as restorative treatments [8,9]. Different terms for caries management options have been used in the literature in the past and suggested for future terminology [10,11]. Therefore, in this review, a compromise using the terms non-operative/non-invasive as well as minimally/micro-invasive parallel is used to give credit to the original literature and recent terminology.…”

Household food insecurity and dental caries in Korean adults

“…11,12 In a workshop by ORCA and the IADR Cariology Research Group in 2019, dental caries was defined as 'a biofilm-mediated, diet-modulated, multifactorial, noncommunicable, dynamic disease resulting in net mineral loss of dental hard tissues'. 13 Dental caries is the most common oral disease. 14 With ageing, dental caries can lead to tooth loss, which affects masticatory function and quality of life.…”