Dental caries is the most common chronic and multifactorial disease caused by the disruption of the ecological balance of the oral microbiome in the mouth mediated by diet. If the pH drops below the critical pH (pH = 5.5) as a result of the acidic environment formed in the mouth, it can lead to the dissolution of the impure hydroxyapatite structures and hard tissues in the tooth, a process called demineralization (). The concentrations of calcium and phosphate in saliva have significant influence on the protective mechanisms of dental hard tissues within the oral environment which means also a lower critical pH. Critical pH is a dynamic metric directly dependent on salivary calcium and phosphate levels. On the other hand, remineralization is the process of returning minerals from the surrounding environment such as saliva and biofilm to the demineralized tooth structures. It can be the result of a natural process or by increasing the availability of minerals thru preventive modalities such as fluoride applications (). The mechanisms by which the demineralization-remineralization process takes place in teeth and new methods that prevent and/or reverse demineralization or increase remineralization have been meticulously researched. Recent developments in material sciences and tissue engineering offer considerable potential to dental therapies. Transforming these new technologies into products and applications is critical to improving and developing healthcare worldwide ().
There is a wide range of remineralizing agents (, ).
1) These agents may include fluoride-containing products;
Oligopeptides,
Theobromine,
Arginine,
Self-assembling peptides,
Polydopamine,
Proanthocyanidin (PA);
2) Electric field-induced remineralization;
3) Non-fluoride remineralizing agents,
Casein phosphopeptide–amorphous calcium phosphate (CPP–ACP),
Amorphous calcium phosphate (ACP),
Alpha tricalcium phosphate (TCP) and Beta TCP (β-TCP),
Sodium calcium phosphosilicate (bioactive glass),
Dicalcium phosphate dehydrate (DCPD),
Xylitol,
Calcium phosphate-based nanomaterials,
Nanoparticles (calcium fluoride nanoparticles),
Nano- hydroxyapatite particles,
Nanobioactive glass materials and combinations of these.
Recent papers say, a better understanding of regenerative and physiochemical mechanisms has influenced the development of a number of innovative remineralization technologies that go beyond fluoride-mediated remineralization (). While traditional fluoride-based remineralization remains the cornerstone for caries management applications with the highest level of supporting evidence, additional remineralizing agents to enhance fluoride effects are specially needed in high caries risk individuals and population groups (, ).
Remineralization agents can be geared toward home care or professional use (). Studies are ongoing about the differences among the various remineralizing agents and their effectiveness with the goal of identifying best options for patients.
The articles in this Research Topic will provide the guest Editorial team hopes that the present special additional information on this important Research Topic and encourage further work in this rapidly progressing area of dental science.
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Author contributions
All authors listed have made a substantial, direct, and intellectual contribution to the work and approved it for publication.
Conflict of interest
The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.
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Summary
Keywords
remineralization, demineralization, fluoride, CPP–ACP, caries
Citation
Koruyucu M, Tuna Ä°nce EB, Zandona AF and Modesto Vieira A (2022) Editorial: Remineralization Procedures in Pediatric Dentistry. Front. Dent. Med. 3:949367. doi: 10.3389/fdmed.2022.949367
Received
20 May 2022
Accepted
30 May 2022
Published
14 June 2022
Volume
3 - 2022
Edited and reviewed by
David John Manton, University Medical Center Groningen, Netherlands
Updates
Copyright
© 2022 Koruyucu, Tuna İnce, Zandona and Modesto Vieira.
This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) and the copyright owner(s) are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
*Correspondence: Mine Koruyucu minekoruyucu@gmail.comAdriana Modesto Vieira ams208@pitt.edu
This article was submitted to Pediatric Dentistry, a section of the journal Frontiers in Dental Medicine
Disclaimer
All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.