Guest Editorial

Despite the advancements in dentistry, dental caries still remains the most common disease of the oral cavity. A major reason for this scenario is because the dental professionals are still clinging to the outdated surgical model of dental caries. This traditional approach of caries management forces the tooth to enter into the 'restoration cycle' which usually involves several lifetime replacement procedures, resulting in increased restoration size, even more invasive procedures and finally a prosthesis. We need to acknowledge that, by simply drilling and filling the carious lesions, this disease cannot be controlled. Like other infectious diseases of the human body, if the etiological factors are not identified and managed appropriately, the disease will continue.