Conclusion

Dental caries is a multifactorial disease affecting a significant percentage of the population. It is a dysbiosis, meaning that it is caused by a shift in oral commensal microflora to a selection of caries-causing types in response to acidity resulting from the metabolism of sugars. The development of caries is dependent on the interaction of four primary factors. These are a host (tooth surface), a substrate (food), the presence of oral bacteria, and time. Caries will not develop if any of these four primary factors are not present. Understanding the etiology and pathways of progression of dental caries will enable the profession to strive toward early intervention and, hopefully, prevention.