This document discusses dental caries and tests used to measure caries activity. It defines dental caries as a progressive, multifactorial disease affecting tooth structure. Tests that measure microorganism numbers like lactobacillus colony count and streptococcus mutans levels in saliva have been developed to relate to caries activity and help clinicians educate patients. Effective caries activity tests should be reproducible, valid, correlate with actual caries development, be simple, fast, inexpensive, non-invasive, and measure caries mechanisms. Examples of caries activity and susceptibility tests mentioned include lactobacillus colony count, streptococcus mutans screening methods, Alban test, and salivary buffer capacity test.

2.  Introduction
 Dental caries
 Uses of these tests
 Requisites of caries activity test
 Classification
 Refrences

3.  Tests based on the estimation
of the microorganisms
numbers have been developed
and they have been related to
the caries activity.
 These tests aid the clinician in
educating the patients
regarding his or her caries
activity and thereby help in
motivating them in good oral
hygiene practices

4. It is an irreversible progressive
disease of multifactorial in nature
affecting the calcified tissues of
the teeth characterized by
demineralization of inorganic
portion & destruction of organic
portion of the tooth.

5.  To determine the need for caries control measures
 As an indicator of patient co operation
 To act as an aid in timing of recall appointments
 As guide to insertion of expensive restorations
 To aid in the determination of prognosis as a
precautionary signal to the orthodontist in placing
bands

6.  Test should be reproducible & valid
 There should be good correlation between the caries activity
scores & actual caries development
 Should be simple
 Results should be obtained rapidly, within hours or few days
 Should have measurement of mechanisms involved in caries
process
 Should be inexpensive, non-invasive & applicable to any
clinical setting

7.  A. Tests which measure caries activity:-
  Lactobacillus colony count test
  Streptococcus mutans level in saliva
  S. Mutans screening tests
 - Plaque-tooth pick method
 - Saliva/tongue blade method
 - S. Mutans adherence method
 - S. Mutans dip-slide method
 - S.mutans replicate technique
  Alban test
  Dewar test
  Swab test
  Salivary buffer capacity test

8.  Tests which measure caries susceptibility
 Snyder’s colorimetric test
 Enamel solubility test
 Dewar test
 Fosdick calcium dissolution test
 Salivary reductase test.

9.  TEXTBOOK OF PEDITRIC DENTISTRY BY
NIKHIL MARWAH(2ND
EDITION)
 RESEARCH AND REVIEW BY ARUN .H AND
DEPT
 SHAFERS BOOK OF ORAL PATHOLOGY

10. Thank you
Malik Ashim
3rd
year
Department of
Pediatric
Dentistry
Guided by
Dr.NEHA
AWASTHI