IOSR Journal of Dental and Medical Sciences (IOSR-JDMS) e-ISSN: 2279-0853, p-ISSN: 2279-0861.Volume 19, Issue 8 Ser.12 (August. 2020), PP 01-08 www.iosrjournals.org DOI: 10.9790/0853-1908120108 www.iosrjournal.org 1 | Page Dental Caries Dr. Sadhvi Gupta 1 , Ishita Khanna 2 , Dr. Aasiya Yousuf 3 , Dr. Gursimran Singh Pabla 4 , Dr. Divya Jakhar 5 1,4,5 (Post Graduate, Department of Conservative Dentistry and Endodontics, Genesis Institute of Dental Sciences and Research, India) 2 (Under Graduate, Genesis Institute of Dental Sciences and Research, India) 3 (Post Graduate, Department of Pediatricand Preventive Dentistry,Genesis Institute of Dental Sciences and Research, India) Abstract: Dental caries is a unique chronic disease among human which is one of the most common important global oral health problems in the world today. It is the destruction of dental hard acellular tissue by acids by-products from the bacterial fermentation of dietary carbohydrates especially sucrose. It progresses slowly in most of the people which results from 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. The microbial community of caries is diverse and contains many facultatively and obligately-anaerobic bacteria. S. mutans is the most primary associated with it.Dental disease has been associated with low self-esteem,adverse pregnancy outcomes, and increased risk of myocardial infarction, cardiovascular,respiratory, erectile, diabetes complications, cavernous sinus thrombosis and Ludwig angina which can be life threatening. Treatment, prevention, personal hygiene and dietary modification should be recommended for dental caries patients. Key Word: Dental caries, Histology, Etiology, Diagnosis, Prevention, Oral health. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Date of Submission: 07-08-2020 Date of Acceptance: 21-08-2020 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I. Introduction: Teeth are tools that have evolved to ensure survival of species. 2 Survival of all higher forms of life, depend on ingestion of food, its digestion and absorption, which acts as fuel for various life processes. 1 The word caries is derived from Latin, meaning ―rot or decay‖. 3 It is similar to Greek word ʻkerʼmeaning death. Every individual, in his life-time has been effected by this disease. In Japanese, the caries is known by term called, mush-ha meaning hollow teeth. 4 In ancient humans’ caries was usually located at the cemento-enamel junction or in the cementum, whereas in modern man grooves and fissures are the most common sites of decay. 5 Hundreds of dental research investigators for more than a century have studied various aspects of dental caries problems. Despite this extensive investigation, many aspects of etiology are still under observation and the efforts at prevention have been partially successful. 6 The etiology of dental caries is generally agreed to be a complex problem complicated by many indirect factors, which obscure the direct cause or causes. There is no universally accepted opinion for the etiology of dental caries. 7 DEFINITION OF CARIES: Various authors have defined caries in the own way, According to Sturdevant’s: Dental caries is an infectious microbiologic disease of the teeth that results in localized dissolution and destruction of calcified tissues. 8 Shafer, Hine,Levy has defined it as a ―microbial disease of the calcified tissues of the teeth, characterized by demineralization of the inorganic portion and destruction of the organic substance of the tooth. 9 WHO Dental caries is defined as a localized post eruptive, pathological process of external origin, involving softening of hard tooth tissues, and proceeding into the formation of cavity. 10