Enamel remineralization: controlling the caries disease or treating early caries lesions?

• Main Authors: Jaime Aparecido Cury, Livia Maria Andaló Tenuta
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Sociedade Brasileira de Pesquisa Odontológica 2009-06-01
• Series: Brazilian Oral Research
• Subjects: Dental caries; Dental enamel; Tooth remineralization; Fluorides
• Online Access: http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S1806-83242009000500005

The emphasis currently given to new technologies for enamel remineralization suggests that the changes in the understanding of the dental caries disease, which occurred in the last century, were either not yet adopted or were forgotten. Just like in the past, when the disease was "treated" by restoring cavities, there is presently a misunderstanding on the concept of incipient lesion remineralization. The aim of this paper was to review some concepts about caries, the natural phenomenon of enamel remineralization and the effect of fluoride (F) on it, and also to discuss the clinical relevance of remineralizing products recently launched in the marketplace aiming to "treat early caries lesions".