Dental caries and Dentifrices

Dental caries is a localized and progressive decay of the teeth. Not only does it cause many people to experience a great deal of pain, it leads to continuous discomfort through inconvenient treatment. WHO¿s report on the Global Problem of Oral Diseases, notes that oral diseases such as dental caries (tooth decay), periodontitis (gum disease) and oral and pharyngeal cancers are global health problem in both the industrialized and the developing countries, especially among poorer communities. Dental caries is a major oral affliction in developing countries, affecting 60-90% of the school children and the vast majority of adults. An estimated five billion people worldwide have experienced dental caries (Petersen, 2003). In developing countries like India, the rate of dental caries is rising and since more than 80% of the world¿s children live in these countries, dental caries is considered to be a major public health problem.