Caries Risk Assessment and Prevention

Over 20 years, several analytical approaches have been designed to predict caries in children."nCaries Risk Assessment is a recently developed technique concern to caries prediction."nThis procedure involves three stages as follows:"n1- Determination and assessment of the dental caries risk factors."n2- Examination and evaluation of each individual child to be specifically diagnosed the level of 3- caries risk e.g. high, moderate and low risk."n3- Recommendation of preventive programs according to risk assessment."nBecause children vary widely in their ability to develop cavities, a well-organized program holds great promise for promoting dental heath for pre-school children of varying caries risk. This article considered a series of principals that dentist can use in case planning, management and prevention programs according to risk assessment

No Evidence for Association between Amelogenesis Imperfecta and Candidate Genes

"nBackground: Amelogenesis imperfecta (AI) is an inherited tooth disorder. Despite the fact that up to now, several gene muta­tions in MMP20, ENAM, AMELX and KLK4 genes have been reported to be associated with AI, many other genes sug­gested to be involved. The main objective of this study was to find the mutations in three major candidate genes including MMP20, ENAM and KLK4 responsible for AI from three Iranian families with generalized hypoplastic phenotype in all teeth. "nMethods: All exon/intron boundaries of subjected genes were amplified by polymerase chain reaction and subjected to direct sequencing."nResults: One polymorphisms was identified in KLK4 exon 2, in one family a homozygous mutation was found in the third base of codon 22 for serine (TCG>TCT), but not in other families. Although these base substitutions have been occurred in the signaling domain, they do not seem to influence the activity of KLK4 protein."nConclusion: Our results might support the further evidence for genetic heterogeneity; at least, in some AI cases are not caused by a gene in these reported candidate genes