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Key Points
- The goal of traditional dental caries prevention strategies has been to use fluoride to make tooth surfaces more resistant to acid attack or less conducive to plaque retention. Additional strategies have included behavior modification, especially in the areas of oral hygiene and dietary practices.
- Prevention strategies seek to influence the oral environment by (1) reducing or eliminating odontopathic bacteria, (2) reducing the acid produced by bacterial colonies by decreasing dietary sugar, and (3) increasing the mineral content of saliva, especially the calcium and fluoride content.
- The following mineral and antimicrobial agents can aid in dental caries prevention: fluoride, xylitol, chlorhexidine, and povidone-iodine.
- Properly applied dental sealants are an excellent pit-and-fissure caries preventive measure.
- Dentists and dental hygienists should inform patients about the role that foods and beverages high in sugar play in infection and destruction of teeth.
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