Happy New Year!

Recently, the trend in caries in US children during the last 30 years were summarized from four national surveys. By the late 1980s, although approximately 75 percent of children aged 5 to 11 years were caries free, about 70 percent of the 12 to 17 year- olds still had caries. Approximately 25 percent of children and adolescents in the 5 to 17 years of age range accounted for 80 percent of the caries in permanent teeth. But by the age of 17 years, 40 percent of the population accounted for 80 percent of caries. Findings in India must be of higher values. This emphasizes the need for caries management by individual risk assessment and for measures more specifically directed to high-risk people.

Whereas caries was considered to be a one-way process in the earlier times, now we know that it is a dynamic two- way, demineralization, remineralization, process. We can take advantage of the remineralization process to the fullest extent if caries can be detected at the very initial stage.

The ‘incipient’ caries that we detect in the radiographs are often 2 years old. If we can believe the researchers at Indiana University School of Dentistry, in the near future, we should be able to diagnose incipient caries, in the real sense of the word, through ‘Quantitative light fluorescence’ method.

The access cavity preparation techniques in the last issue must have helped at least some of you to improve upon your clinical work. This issue deals with access cavities for permanent molars. I am sure the information provided will change your approach to root canal treatment.

Preservation of gingival and periodontal health should have a high priority during restorative work. Knowledge of the ‘biologic width’ and of the importance of keratinized gingiva will help in deciding the placement of restorative margins in relation to gingiva for optimal results.

Exciting new information awaits you in ‘Bonding for the new millennium’. With the introduction of a system that etches, primes and bonds through a single solution, bonded restorations are going to be fun. Finally we can forget about the rinsing, drying and frustrations from contamination of the etched or primed surfaces.

Those, who dare to dream and have faith that dreams do come true, will be thrilled to read about Nanodentistry. The whole approach to dental treatment will change when nanorobots enter our operatories.

As a new year gift this newsletter is now availlble on the internet. The website is www.healthmantra.com/ypb/. Enjoy the online access and tell all your friends also.

Dr. Beena Rani Goel, M.D.S.