What is dental caries?

There are relatively few infectious diseases of the upper alimentary canal but one common
disease is dental caries. Dental caries, a pathological process of destruction of tooth structure
by microorganisms, is also known as tooth decay and is commonly called "cavities." Dental
plaque, which leads to caries, is the oral flora which adhere to teeth and break down tooth
enamel.
Dental caries is the medical term for tooth decay or cavities. It is caused by specific types of
bacteria. They produce acid that destroys the tooth's enamel and the layer under it, the
dentin.
Dental caries is caused by the action of acids on the enamel surface. The acid is produced
when sugars (mainly sucrose) in foods or drinks react with bacteria present in the dental
biofilm (plaque) on the tooth surface. The acid produced leads to a loss of calcium and
phosphate from the enamel; this process is called demineralisation.


How do dental cavities form?
Dental enamel is the hardest mineral in the human body. It consists mainly of minerals.
However, minerals are acid-soluble. So if the dental enamel is exposed to acids for a long time
it dissolves. The first sign of caries is the appearance of white spots on the dental enamel. If
further minerals are removed from the enamel it breaks down and a hole or cavity forms.

But food (e.g. fruit) and drinks (e.g. Cola) are not the only sources of acid in the mouth. The
main causes of tooth decay or caries are sugar and food remains, as bacteria which live in the
mouth convert sugar and sugar components from the diet into acids. These bacteria settle on
the surface of the teeth and form a sticky coating called plaque. So brushing the teeth twice a
day is not only important to remove food remains but also to remove this plaque at regular
intervals so as to stop the bacteria from multiplying and producing acid.

Prevention
Dental caries is a complex multifactoral disease. One of the most important factors in the
etiology of dental caries is the patient's level of oral hygiene. If thorough hygiene is
maintained there will not be a build up of plaque and bacterial colonization of tooth structure
is not initiated. Maintenance of good oral hygiene requires education, motivation and
reinforcement if compliance is to be achieved. The dietary profile also plays a important role in
dental caries. The amount of sucrose consumed, the consistency of the food, and the
frequency of feeding all affect the level of caries activity. The availability of fluoride in water
will also decrease dental caries. Fluoride is incorporated into the calcium phosphate matrix of
enamel and reduces the occurrence of dental caries.
Prevention of Dental Caries
The prevention of dental caries can be approached in three ways:
Use fluorides
Reduce frequent consumption of sugars
Apply pit and fissure sealants.
Fluoride is a substance that naturally occurs in some water sources. It is derived from
fluorine, the thirteenth most common element on earth, and is known to help prevent dental
aries.
Fluoride works mainly by slowing down the process of demineralisation, whereby the enamel
loses calcium and phosphate when exposed to acid following ingestion of food and drinks
which contain sugars. It also helps to heal (remineralise) surfaces which show early signs of
calcium or phosphate loss, such as an opaque appearance. Most benefit is obtained if a low
level of fluoride is constantly maintained in the mouth throughout the day.
Fluoride delivered directly (or topically) to the tooth surfaces by toothpastes and rinses help to
maintain fluoride levels in the mouth and provide added benefit to the fluoride delivered
systemically via water fluoridation.
Fluoride toothpastes are an important source of additional fluoride and should be used
twice a day to help maintain a constant level of fluoride in the mouth. Daily fluoride
mouthrinses are particularly useful for people who are prone to high levels of decay and also
for people wearing orthodontic braces; fortnightly fluoride mouthrinse programmes are used in
a number of schools in non-fluoridated areas. It is advisable that fluoride mouthrinsing be
carried out at a different time from fluoride toothbrushing to maximise the added benefits
from these topical fluorides. Fluoride varnishes and gels are alternative forms of topical
fluorides that require application by a dentist or dental hygienist.

Theoretical inorganic chemistry
An alternative perspective on the area of inorganic chemistry begins with the Bohr model of
the atom and, using the tools and models of theoretical chemistry and computational
chemistry, expands into bonding in simple and then more complex molecules. Precise quantum
mechanical descriptions for multielectron species, the province of inorganic chemistry, is
difficult. This challenge has spawned many semi-quantitative or semi-empirical approaches
including molecular orbital theory and ligand field theory, In parallel with these theoretical
descriptions, approximate methodologies are employed, including density functional theory.

Exceptions to theories, qualitative and quantitative, are extremely important in the
development of the field. For example, CuII2(OAc)4(H2O)2 is almost diamagnetic below room
temperature whereas Crystal Field Theory predicts that the molecule would have two unpaired
electrons. The disagreement between qualitative theory (paramagnetic) and observation
(diamagnetic) led to the development of models for "magnetic coupling." These improved
models led to the development of new magnetic materials and new technologies.

Qualitative theories

Crystal field theory explains why [FeIII(CN)6]3 has only one unpaired electron
Inorganic chemistry has greatly benefited from qualitative theories. Such theories are easier to
learn as they require little background in quantum theory. Within main group compounds,
VSEPR theory powerfully predicts, or at least rationalizes, the structures of main group
compounds, such as an explanation for why NH3 is pyramidal whereas ClF3 is T-shaped. For
the transition metals, crystal field theory allows one to understand the magnetism of many
simple complexes, such as why [FeIII(CN)6]3 has only one unpaired electron, whereas
[FeIII(H2O)6]3+ has five. A particularly powerful qualitative approach to assessing the
structure and reactivity begins with classifying molecules according to electron counting,
focusing on the numbers of valence electrons, usually at the central atom in a molecule.

Molecular symmetry group theory[edit]

Nitrogen dioxide, NO2, exhibits C2v symmetry
A central construct in inorganic chemistry is the theory of molecular symmetry.[8]
Mathematical group theory provides the language to describe the shapes of molecules
according to their point group symmetry. Group theory also enables factoring and
simplification of theoretical calculations.

Spectroscopic features are analyzed and described with respect to the symmetry properties of
the, inter alia, vibrational or electronic states. Knowledge of the symmetry properties of the
ground and excited states allows one to predict the numbers and intensities of absorptions in
vibrational and electronic spectra. A classic application of group theory is the prediction of the
number of C-O vibrations in substituted metal carbonyl complexes. The most common
applications of symmetry to spectroscopy involve vibrational and electronic spectra.