Identify, protect, restore: emerging issues in approaching children's oral health.

Treating dental caries as an infectious disease requires the clinician to identify risk factors and tooth demineralization as early as possible. This early recognition of risk allows the dentist to implement prevention regimens before significant oral disease becomes apparent. Prevention includes rebalancing the oral environment to its natural state to prevent oral disease progression. Bacterial control, buffering acidic pH, and providing calcium, phosphate, and fluoride all can aid in rebalancing the oral cavity. Rebalancing can protect potential demineralization of tooth structure; it also can repair early lesions. Once cavitation occurs, conservative restoration with biomimetic materials is indicated. This approach dictates identifying and assessing potential caries risk factors early, preventing caries by addressing these primary risk factors, eliminating or minimizing their effects, and restoring teeth with minimally invasive techniques.