Dental Caries

The dental caries is the destruction or softening of enamel and dentin arising as a result of the killing activity of a group of acid-producing bacteria (dental plaque) and they are located on the tooth surfaces. It starts at the periphery, cross progresses and leads to loss of substances in the form of cavities.

Causes of tooth decay

Caries is a multifactorial disease, it involved four factors:

Factors related to the host

• Tooth: The incidence of caries will be higher or lower depending on the morphology, composition, arrangement, texture and maturation of the enamel of the teeth of each individual.
• Saliva: saliva plays an important role in protecting the tooth caries. When saliva decreases, have shown an increased rate of caries.

Factors related to diet

Diet plays an important role in the development of caries. Bacterial action is accelerated greatly in the presence of certain carbohydrates in the diet, especially those found in foods containing sugar such as candy, soda, honey, pastries and cakes etc…

If ingestion of sucrose is common, permanently lower the PH and no demineralization of enamel occurs, so the incidence of caries is greater if eaten between meals.

Factors related to microorganisms

The oral cavity is home to a large number of microorganisms, some other more pathogenic potential, but their interaction with the environment and determining its potential performance. Tooth decay develops in areas of the enamel surface in the microbial flora of the plate is a suitable environment for proliferation and metabolism of carbohydrates to produce organic acids.

Weather-related factors

A longer exposure of the tooth to the acids produced by bacteria, increased risk of caries.

Epidemiology of caries

The prevalence of dental caries has declined in recent years. Large changes in prevalence in primary teeth are not observed; however, in the permanent dentition at the age of 12 years has been a decrease in the prevalence of 68% (1993) to 43% (2000).

There was an increase in the percentage of teeth restored in all age groups. In fact, p ara WHO (World Health Organization), “tooth decay is the third health calamity after cardiovascular disease and cancer.”