Dental caries

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

Causes of tooth decay

 * 1) Bacteria - cariogenic organisms
 * 2) Streptococcus  (S. mutans, S. sanguis, S. mitis, S. salivarius)
 * 3) Lactobacilli
 * 4) Actinomycetes
 * 5) Fusobacteria
 * 6) Bacillus subtilis
 * 7) Low molecular weight 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 promotes self-cleaning of the teeth, thereby reducing the risk of tooth decay.

Predilection sites of tooth decay
The places marked in this way include pits, grooves, contact surfaces, the cervical third of the tooth, exposed roots and foramina caeca.

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) caries dentin,
 * 4) cement decay;


 * 1) according to the rate of progress:
 * 2) acute  caries (caries acuta) – decaying matter is light yellow and the caries spreads quickly,
 * 3) chronic  caries (caries chronica) – the caries progress slowly and the caries lesion is darkly colored,
 * 4) stopped  caries - darkly pigmented with completely hard base;


 * 1) According to the relationship to the vital dental pulp:
 * 2) superficial caries (caries superficialis),
 * 3) caries media ,
 * 4) caries close to the pulp   (caries profunda pulpae proxima),
 * 5) caries penetrating  the pulp (caries profunda ad pulpam penetrans);


 * 1) according to the nature of the course of caries in the dentin:
 * 2) undermining caries  – little in the enamel, but mainly in the dentin just below the enamel,
 * 3) penetrating caries – leads quickly to the pulp;


 * 1) according to the location on the tooth:
 * 2) primary  caries – i.e. on an intact tooth,
 * 3) secondary  decay – i.e. next to the existing filling,
 * 4) recurrent  caries – i.e. under the existing filling (result of poor treatment).

Related Articles

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