Although dental prevention has received significant support in recent decades, and despite the important role dental hygienists play in promoting proper oral care habits, cavities remain the most widespread dental disease worldwide. They appear as early as childhood and, in Italy, affect over 50% of children and nearly 100% of the adult population.
While modern dentistry has made great strides in treating cavities with increasingly less invasive techniques, the same progress has not been achieved in focusing on disease prevention and in identifying the cofactors and behaviors involved in cavity development.
The primary trigger for cavities is undoubtedly an acidic pH. Neutralizing this acidic environment is the first line of defense. It’s important to remember that the body’s own metabolic processes cause continuous pH fluctuations. To prevent various diseases, the blood relies on the buffer system to maintain pH balance.
In the oral cavity, saliva performs this role. Thanks to the bicarbonate it contains, saliva helps inhibit acids. Every time we consume food or drinks, the salivary buffer system is activated. In a healthy individual, it takes about 30 minutes for the pH to return to balance – a phenomenon known as the Stephan curve.
Salivary buffering is crucial for enamel remineralization, and studies show an inverse correlation between salivary buffering capacity and cavity formation.
Moreover, today’s increasingly hectic lifestyles, frequent snacking, and the widespread consumption of fizzy drinks are contributing to the steady rise of a new dental condition: dental erosion, also known as acid erosion. Erosion is the permanent and progressive loss of the hard tissues of the tooth due to chemical dissolution, caused by acidic substances of either endogenous origin (such as gastroesophageal reflux) or exogenous sources.
Thanks to a collaboration with the University of Insubria in Varese, a dental spray – Cariex® – has been developed and is recognized as one of the most important advances in oral hygiene. It naturally supports the salivary buffer system through the slow-release properties of bicarbonate and xylitol.
This is the first therapeutic product capable of restoring pH balance and maintaining a neutral oral environment. By doing so, it prevents the growth of acid-loving bacteria, protects teeth from demineralization, and provides effective prevention against cavities and dental erosion.
Mauro Turchetti
© 2014 by the YES Group, Inc – The Journal of Clinical Dentistry® – The International Journal of Oral Care Product Research: “Salivary pH After a Glucose Rinse: Effect of a New Mucoadhesive Spray (Cariex®) Based on Sodium Bicarbonate and Xylitol” – GM Abbate, DDS L Levrini, MS School of Dentistry and Oral Hygiene, University of Insubria Varese, Italy MP Caria, DDS, PhD Department of Public Health Sciences, Karolinska Institutet Stockholm, Sweden.