Fact Sheet: About Tooth Decay
ABOUT TOOTH DECAY Tooth decay is a chronic disease in which there is localised destruction of susceptible dental hard tissue by acidic by-products from bacterial fermentation of dietary carbohydrates. This damages hard tooth structure causing tooth decay. It is the most common chronic disease on the planet, affecting 80 percent of the population, in which some regions have higher rates of caries than others. Early forms of tooth decay – known as early or initial caries – can be stopped and reversed if the multiple causative factors are reduced. On average, people in the North Africa and Middle East (NAME) region have 1.9 instances of DMFT – Decayed, Missing, or Filled Teeth – each, with some countries’ populations averaging up to 4.6 DMFT per person. In several countries, the instances of 6 year olds with untreated tooth decay is higher than 80 percent, up to as much as 100 percent. CAVITIES The formation of cavities occurs along a continuum which spans a series of stages from s...