2.1 Dental caries

Dental caries is a preventable disease of the mineralised tissues of the teeth with a multi-factorial aetiology related to the interactions over time between tooth substance and certain micro-organisms and dietary carbohydrates producing plaque acids.

2.2 Primary prevention

Primary prevention protects individuals against disease, often by placing barriers between the aetiological agent and the host. It is aimed at keeping a population healthy to minimise the risk of disease or injury. In the context of this guideline, primary prevention is about keeping children's teeth free from dental caries.

2.3 Secondary prevention

Secondary prevention aims to limit the progression and effect of a disease at as early a stage as possible after onset. It includes further primary prevention.

2.4 Tertiary prevention

Tertiary prevention is concerned with limiting the extent of disability once a disease has caused some functional limitation. At this stage, the disease process will have extended to the point where the patient's health status has changed and will not return to the pre-diseased state.

When considering dental caries, tertiary prevention is aimed not only at restoring decayed teeth but must include further primary and secondary prevention in order to prevent further carious attack. This means that in addition to placing a filling the causes of caries must also be addressed as part of clinically effective caries management.