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Dental caries
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Dental caries is a chronic infection. Bacteria live attached to the tooth, and some of them, the cariogenic ones, turn sugar into acid. Over time, that acid demineralizes the tooth, meaning it gradually strips the tooth of its mineral.
It all happens in the biofilm, the layer of bacteria that forms on the tooth. There the acid, mainly lactic acid, lowers the pH, which is the measure of how acidic something is, and pulls mineral out of the enamel, the tooth's hard outer covering. But saliva can bring the pH back to neutral, and then calcium, phosphate and fluoride move back in: this is called remineralization. It is like a mineral bank account: acid makes withdrawals and saliva helps make deposits.
The trouble comes when the acidity never lets up. Then more mineral is lost just beneath the surface than at the surface itself, and a white spot becomes visible. If it keeps going, that surface later collapses and leaves a hole.
In brief
Dental caries is a chronic infection: cariogenic bacteria attached to the tooth turn sugars into acid that, over time, demineralizes the tooth.
In the biofilm, these acids, mainly lactic acid, lower the pH and demineralize the enamel; if saliva neutralizes the pH, calcium, phosphate and fluoride remineralize the surface.
A mineral bank account: acid makes withdrawals and saliva helps make deposits.
If the acidity persists, more mineral is lost beneath the surface than at the surface, and a white spot appears; later the surface collapses into a hole.
Sources (1)
- National Center for Biotechnology Information, StatPearls PublishingDental Caries, StatPearlsPublished
This page explains the topic in general terms; it does not tell anyone what treatment to follow.
Updated