Final answer:
After determining an individual's caries risk level, the focus shifts to either preventive care or immediate treatment to stop the progression of caries. This includes dental procedures like fillings or root canals for more advanced cases, as well as lifestyle changes to reduce sugar intake and strengthen tooth enamel with fluoride treatments.
Step-by-step explanation:
After determining the caries risk level of an individual, appropriate preventive or treatment measures can be established. If caries develop, prompt treatment is crucial to prevent the condition from worsening. For smaller areas of decay, the process may involve drilling to remove the affected tissue and then applying a filling. In cases where the pulp is affected, a root canal procedure might be necessary to completely excise the infected tissues and prevent the spread of the infection, which could lead to painful abscesses.
Preventive measures might include regular dental cleanings to detect decay early, reducing sugar consumption to lower microbial fermentation of sugars, and using sugarless candies or gum that contain sugar alcohols such as xylitol. Fluoride treatments and the use of fluoridated water can also assist in strengthening the minerals in teeth, thus reducing the incidence of dental caries.
Microbes contribute to tooth decay through the fermentation of sugars, producing acids that break down tooth enamel. The most important cariogenic species of bacteria is Streptococcus mutans, which is particularly adept at sticking to teeth and generating acids that cause decay.