Role of Models in Assessing New Agents for Caries Prevention-Non-Fluoride Systems: Reaction Paper

Abstract

Several important issues have been raised concerning the need for consideration of alternatives to fluoride. The principle reason to do so has been the lack of comprehensive effectiveness of fluoride, which in turn reveals incomplete understanding of the caries process. Included among the topics required for clarification of caries initiation would be quantitative methods for relating plaque pH values to the formation of caries. Thus, methods for assessing the activity of anticaries agents over time would be of considerable assistance in monitoring the effects of these test compounds on bacteria. The use of recombinant oral micro-organisms containing genetic fusions, to provide information on the effects of agents on bacteria growing in model systems, is discussed as a possible means of obtaining relevant data in situ.

Keywords

Caries genes bacterial Streptococcus mutans.

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