cariology

What does cariology study?

At its centre is a single process: bacteria in the biofilm metabolise sugar into acids that dissolve mineral from enamel and dentine. When the acid attack is frequent enough, demineralisation prevails and a lesion forms. Cariology describes this process, develops diagnostic systems such as ICDAS and indices such as the DMFT score, and classifies treatment options from fluoridation and infiltration through to fillings. The trend is clearly towards minimally invasive treatment: an early enamel lesion can be remineralised; only a surface breakdown makes drilling necessary. This is complemented by saliva diagnostics, dietary counselling, and the question of how oral hygiene can be maintained over years.

Where does cariology appear in the curriculum?

Under the DApprO, it appears as the science of hard dental tissues within the dental conservation subject group, examined in the Second Section of the Dental Examination and again in the Third Section, together with endodontics, periodontology, and paediatric dentistry. Practical training begins on the phantom head and continues in the clinical treatment courses. There is no specialist dental title in cariology in Germany; specialisation runs through curricula and continuing education offered by the professional associations.

What is the situation in Germany?

The 6th German Oral Health Study by the Institute of German Dentists, conducted from October 2022 to September 2023 and published in 2025, shows that twelve-year-olds have a mean caries experience of 0.5 teeth, with 77.6 per cent caries-free. Among 35- to 44-year-olds, the DMFT score fell from 11.2 to 8.3. Differences according to educational background remain significant, however, and among younger senior citizens the score stagnates at 17.6. The proportion of caries-free dentitions also declines noticeably again in adolescence. Dental caries is therefore not a solved problem, but one that has shifted towards risk groups.

What does this mean for students studying in the EU abroad?

At universities in Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, or Croatia, the subject is usually called "Cariology" or "Conservative Dentistry". For subsequent recognition or a transfer, the name matters less than the volume shown in the Transcript of Records. Collect course certificates and treatment records from the very beginning.