Abstract

Dental caries is the most prevalent infectious disease worldwide. There are different causes of tooth caries such as the dietary habit and oral hygiene. The morphology of the tooth also plays an important role in the formation of caries. The organic material of the tooth is made up of hydroxyapatite crystals. These crystals are demineralized in the presence of high acidity. The pH of the mouth environment is critical in the mineralization-demineralization process. It is a well-known fact that when carbohydrate consumed in daily diet with the help of bacteria the sugar is fermented and lactic acid is formed. Consequently the pH of the environment decreases which will lead the dental caries formation. The porpuse of this review is to give a comprehensive look at dental caries in terms of microbiology, diet, oral hygiene together with professional and social preventive measures.

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