The following is an explanation of the stages of caries:
The acids that form in the dental plaque attack the minerals in the hard layer of the tooth called enamel, which is the outer layer that covers the tooth. Erosion of the enamel layer in the tooth leads to the occurrence of small holes in it and thus tooth decay.
Parts of the enamel layer are eroded, and thus bacteria and acids are able to reach the second layer of the tooth, called dentin, which is the middle layer of the tooth. This layer is softer and less acid-resistant than the enamel layer.
When the process of tooth decay reaches this point, the frequency and speed of tooth decay gradually increases, and as this continues, germs and acids advance on their way into the layers that make up the tooth. They advance into the pulp layer, which is the inner layer of the tooth, which leads to swelling and irritation. .
Tooth decay also affects the bone that supports the tooth. In the very advanced stages of decay, the patient suffers from severe pain, excessive sensitivity in the teeth when biting, and other symptoms.
The body may defend such bacterial penetration inside it by sending white blood cells to fight the emerging inflammation, and as a result, an abscess may form in the teeth, as this process of tooth decay takes quite a long time.
The layers of the tooth continue to erode one after the other as a result of decay, this process is accelerating more and more, and decay often begins in the posterior molars, since it has more openings, gaps, and zigzags than other teeth.
Although this structure helps a lot in chewing food, it is also an excellent breeding ground for food debris, and cleaning these molars is more difficult than cleaning the front teeth, which are more touching and easier to reach.
As a result, dental plaque forms more easily and quickly in the molars, where bacteria thrive and produce acids that kill the enamel layer.[5]
