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