Cariology
Cariology is responsible for the under- and postgraduate dental training in caries prevention, in restorative dentistry (with filling materials) and in endodontology. Other areas of cariology comprise, e.g. dental erosion, diet, developmental defects in teeth, saliva, oral health care products, and the microbiology and immunology of dental caries.
Cariology is a major subject in the dental curriculum because dental caries is still worldwide the oral disease which requires most prevention and treatment by dental personnel. For a student it is of utmost importance to understand dental caries, both as an infectious disease and as a behavioural consequence. It is also important to recognize how cariogenic bacteria are transferred from parents to their children, how effective various caries-preventive methods are on both individual and population levels, and how difficult it is to predict the development of dental caries.
Failure in prevention leads to restorative treatment by fillings, which practically always weaken the teeth and shorten their lifespan. However, because there is a great need for restorations in a population, it is important to emphasize the quality of the clinical work in order to diminish the need for re-restorations. Because good endodontic treatment is particularly technically demanding, strong emphasis is placed on adequate teaching of endodontics. Teaching methods vary from lectures, seminars and PBL to individual "hand-in-hand" training, from preventive methods and diagnostics to operative treatment.
Personnel
Professor Jorma Tenovuo, DDS, PhD; tel. +358-2-3338340, jorma.tenovuo@utu.fi
Associate Professor Merja Laine, DDS, PhD, Docent; tel. +358-2-3338224, merja.anneli.laine@utu.fi
Department Secretary Annukka Wallenius; tel. +358-2-3338222, annukka.wallenius@utu.fi
Docent Marianne Andersson, DDS, PhD; tel. +358-2-4581111, marianne.lenander@nagu.fi
Docent Tuomas Waltimo, DDS, PhD; tel. 050-5266160, tuomas.waltimo@unibas.ch
Contact information
Professor Jorma Tenovuo
Institute of Dentistry, University of Turku
Lemminkäisenkatu 2, FIN-20520 Turku, Finland
Phone: +358-2-333 8340
Fax: +358-2-333 8300
jorma.tenovuo@utu.fi