Author(s)

Peter Gaengler, Ljubisa Markovic, Dagmar Norden, Rainer A. Jordan

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Biology is based on evolution; therefore, eu-kariotes like plants, animals and human beings are living in harmony with their procariote an-cestors. If this is obviously the normal way of life, then pathobiology follows the same basic principles. The highly complex harmony of the living world may be disrupted, and a punctuated disease starts which is different from the health equilibrium. To reflect this biological archetype on the main diseases in dentistry - caries and periodontitis - the avalanche model is being proposed based on scientific and clinical evi-dence. This way of argumentation does influ-ence the strategic planning of preventive and curative programmes in dental research as well as in daily practise.

Dentistry; Dental Caries; Etiology; Model; Pathology; Periodontal Disease

Gaengler, P. , Markovic, L. , Norden, D. and A. Jordan, R. (2009) New insights in understanding dental caries and periodontal disease: the avalanche model. Health, 1, 263-268. doi: 10.4236/health.2009.14042.