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OPEN WIDE: Oral Health Training for Health Professionals

Module 1: Tooth Decay

Key Points

  • Tooth decay is an active process of tooth destruction resulting from interactions between teeth, food, and bacteria.
  • The bacterium S. mutans is the main contributor to tooth decay.
  • S. mutans is found mostly on tooth surfaces. It is most concentrated in the crevices, pits, and fissures that are a normal part of the teeth and surrounding structures.
  • Bacteria can be transmitted from a parent or other intimate caregiver to an infant or child via saliva. Therefore, it is important that parents and other intimate caregivers practice good oral hygiene and avoid behaviors that could transmit S. mutans to an infant or child.
  • Foods containing fermentable carbohydrates, which include all sugars and cooked starches, interact with S. mutans and produce acids that cause mineral loss from teeth. Each time such foods are consumed, the acid attacks the enamel of the teeth. This mineral loss results in cavities when the attack is prolonged and exceeds an individual’s resistance and the ability of the teeth to heal.
  • Tooth decay can spread and be extremely painful.
  • Tooth decay in primary teeth most often means that there will be tooth decay in permanent teeth.