Review On “Influence Of Host Genes On Dental Caries”

The current paper reviews the influence of genetics on susceptibility of dental caries. It is clear from many dietary studies that, variation in susceptibility to dental caries exists even under the identical, controlled conditions. This implicates that, because of genetic differences, certain environmental factors are potentially more cariogenic for some people than for others. Although there is clear evidence that dental caries is a multifactorial, infectious disease, with many contributory environmental factors, there is also strong evidence for a genetic component in the etiology of this disease. Studies of twins, families, and animal models have all indicated that caries has a genetic component. Evidence of a genetic contribution to caries is based on four questions examining inheritance that altered the dental hard tissues; the immune response; sugar metabolism & consumption; salivary flow, salivary constituents; & salivary defense systems. Caries phenotypes in the primary dentition were highly heritable, with genes accounting for 54-70% of variation in caries scores. The heritability of caries scores in the permanent dentition was found to be 35-55%. The current paradigm of disease treatment is not designed to account for the multitude of genetic information known to impact our oral health. It may be time for another adjustment in our view of paradigm of oral health & disease treatment.