Bitewing caries quiz

Quiz time! How many cavities can you spot? 🧐 ⁣

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CC: none⁣

Dx: 15 carious lesions on 12 teeth with possible RCT needed ⁣

Tx: amalgam/resins on #2-DO (possible RCT), #4-MO/DO, #5-MO, #13-MO/DO, #14-OL, #15-O, #18-OB, #19-OB, #20-DO, #29-DO, #30-MO/OB, #31-OB⁣

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🔑: Who remembers the Stephen curve from dental school?! The cause of cavities is not solely based on the amount of sugar you consume, but the frequency as well. For this patient, it’s the frequent sips of sports drinks during football practice that contributed to his caries. The mouth is constantly trying to clean itself, but with every sip it has to start from square one. When the teeth is challenged with sugars and acids everyday for hours on end, cavities form. At the age of 13, this patient already will need at least 12 fillings and a possible root canal therapy. Given that fillings do not last forever and will eventually need to be replaced, the number of fillings this child will need over the course of his lifetime will be staggering. And the saddest truth is, this was totally preventable. For my patients that participate in sports, I always remind them that in most instances, it will be better to rehydrate with water. In addition, although “sports drinks are increasingly regarded as an essential adjunct for anyone doing exercise, […] the evidence for this view is lacking.”⁣

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Cohen, Deborah. "The truth about sports drinks." Bmj 345 (2012): e4737.⁣

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