1. Dental
What is tooth decay?
 Transmittable infectious disease
 Develops with presence of teeth,
sugars and bacteria
 Plaque is bacteria and food
substances that stick to teeth
 Bacteria + foods high in sugars &
other carbohydrates = damage to
teeth
 Ingestion turns food into acid
 Acid attacks enamel within 20
minutes
 After MANY acid attacks = tooth
decay may occur
Dental
Decay and
the Caries
Process
What do you know
about your teeth?

2. The Caries Balance
Pathological Factors = Caries
 Acid-producing bacteria
 Frequently eating/drinking of
fermentable carbohydrates
 Subnormal saliva flow and/or
function
Protective Factors = No Cares
 Saliva flow & components
 Fluoride, calcium, phosphate
 Antibacterials: chlorhexidine,
iodine, xylitol
The balance can be used to assess the
risk of developing caries in the future,
or why you have caries now. The
balance between demineralization &
remineralization isthe KEY to
progression or reversal of dental caries
at any time.
Children & Dental Decay
Survey done on 5,000 children in
1997 found active untreated decay
present:
 6% of 1 year olds
 22% of 2 year olds
 35% of 3 year olds
 48% of 4 year olds
Bacteria that causes
tooth decay…
 Streptococcus mutans –
primarily implicated in dental
decay
Streptococcus mutans
found in mouth?
 Primarily in surfaces of teeth
 One tooth could have many while
the next tooth has very little
 Often not spread evenly
throughout your mouth
 Bacteria is present in highest
concentrations in the crevices, pits
and fissures of anatomy of teeth
What factors contain
sugars that feed the
Streptococcus mutans?
 All carbohydrates
 Mainly sugars
 Sucrose = candies, cookies, soda
 Starches = white bread, potato
chips, pretzels & other processed
snacks