Dental Caries Health Article

Definition

Dental caries, also known as tooth decay, is the destruction of the outer surface (enamel) of a tooth. Decay results from the action of bacteria that live in plaque, which is a sticky, whitish film formed by a protein in saliva (mucin) and sugary substances in the mouth. The plaque bacteria sticking to tooth enamel use the sugar and starch from food particles in the mouth to produce acid. Tooth decay can result in tooth loss.

Description

Thanks to the benefits of fluoride and fluoridated water, dental caries, also called dental cavities, are not as prevalent as in the years before and including the 1980s. While the majority of senior citizens a generation ago lost all their teeth, the vast majority of the elderly today have some or all of their natural teeth.

Although anyone can have a problem with tooth decay, children and senior citizens are the two high-risk groups. While both groups experience a diminishing caries rate, senior citizens are getting more cavities than children. Since older adults are keeping their teeth longer, they have become more prone to root caries, or root decay. Other high-risk groups include people who eat a lot of starchy and sugary foods, people living in areas without a fluoridated water supply, and people who already have numerous dental restorations (fillings and crowns).