Dental caries: The most common disease worldwide and preventive strategies

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 mineralizationdemineralization process. It is a well-known fact that when carbohydrate is 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 purpose of this review is to give a comprehensive
look at dental caries in terms of microbiology, diet, oral hygiene and its preventive measures.