The Truth about Tooth Decay or Dental Caries

Tooth decay, or dental caries, is caused by prolonged exposure to acids produced by bacteria in the mouth. We cannot avoid bacteria in the air. When we breathe it enters the mouth and attaches itself to everything, including the teeth. In fact, there are more microcosms in one mouth than there are people on the earth. Sugar is the main culprit in tooth decay, because that is what the bacteria eat. Bacteria then produce acids as a byproduct. Those acids eat at the enamel of our teeth, until hole or cavity in the tooth appears. Our story begins in the 17th century, when sugar plantations developed in the