Aaron Wills
Dental caries is a chronic disease that is unique to humans and is one of the world's most serious oral health issues today. It is the acidic by-products of bacterial fermentation of dietary carbohydrates, particularly sucrose, that destroy dental hard acellular tissue. It is caused by an ecological imbalance in the equilibrium between tooth minerals and oral biofilms, which is characterized by microbial activity, resulting in fluctuations in plaque pH due to bacterial acid production, buffering action from saliva, and the surrounding tooth structure. Caries have a complex microbiome that includes both facultative and obligately anaerobic microorganisms.