Dental caries

Tooth decay is the most common infectious disease. The first theory about the causes of tooth decay was Miller's chemical-parasitic theory from 1898. It has not yet been disproved.

Causes of tooth decay

 * 1) Bacteria – cariogenic organisms
 * 2) * Streptococus (S. mutans, S. sanguis, S. mitis, S. salivarius)
 * 3) * Lactobacilli
 * 4) * Actinomycetes
 * 5) * Fusobacteria
 * 6) * Bacillus subtilis
 * 7) Low molecular carbohydrates (fermentable carbohydrates (sucrose, maltose, lactose) producing organic acids)
 * 8) Tooth plaque
 * 9) Poor oral hygiene
 * 10) Quality of hard dental tissues (partially conditioned by genetics)

Bacteria are capable of breaking down sugars and demineralizing enamel through aerobic glycolysis. Saliva supports the self-cleaning of the teeth, thereby reducing the risk of tooth decay.

Predilection sites of tooth decay
Among the places marked in this way are pits', grooves, contact surfaces, cervical third of the tooth, exposed roots', foramina ceca.

Distribution of dental caries
There are several different ways to divide tooth decay.
 * 1) According to the involvement of hard dental tissues:
 * 2) enamel decay,
 * 3) dentin decay,
 * 4) cement decay;
 * 5) according to the rate of progress:
 * 6) acute caries (caries acuta) - decaying matter is light yellow and the caries spreads quickly,
 * 7) chronic caries (caries chronica) – the caries progress slowly and the caries lesion is dark in color,
 * 8) arrested caries - darkly pigmented with completely hard base;
 * 9) according to the relationship to the vital dental pulp:
 * 10) superficial caries (caries superficialis),
 * 11) medium caries (caries media),
 * 12) caries close to the pulp (caries profunda pulpae proxima),
 * 13) caries penetrating the pulp (caries profunda ad pulpam penetrans);
 * 14) according to the nature of the course of caries in the dentin:
 * 15) undermining caries - little in the enamel, but mainly in the dentin just below the enamel,
 * 16) caries penetrating - leads quickly to the pulp;
 * 17) according to the place of occurrence on the tooth:
 * 18) primary caries – i.e. on an intact tooth,
 * 19) secondary caries - i.e. next to the existing filling,
 * 20) recurrent caries - i.e. under the existing filling (result of bad treatment).

Related Articles

 * Tooth plaque
 * Enamel decay
 * Damage to the dentin
 * Cement damage