Causes of Dental Caries

Early childhood caries was historically attributed to inappropriate and prolonged bottle use; hence the older terms of "baby-bottle tooth decay" and "nursing caries." Recent analysis indicates that the disease is multifactorial. Any practice that allows frequent sugar consumption in the presence of mutans streptococci may result in caries formation. Common contributing etiological practices in children include propped bottles containing sweetened liquids, frequent consumption of sweetened liquids from infant- and toddler-size "sippy" cups, and frequent snacking. The caries risk generated by on-demand breastfeeding is unclear, but because lactose is poorly metabolized by mutans streptococci, other concomitant inappropriate dietary practices (e.g., frequent juice consumption or snacking) are more likely to be the culprits. (Am Fam Physician 2004;70:2113-20,2121-2.)

There are several causes of dental caries among children in the U.S. The most prevalent cause of dental cavities in children is the consumption of foods high in sugar content. The following cartoon shows the process that teeth follow in developing these caries.

When people eat foods high in sugar, the bacteria from their mouth combines with the sugar to form acid, which attacks the health tooth and causes decay which, when it goes undetected, causes dental caries.