Medical Terminology for Rotting Teeth
The medical term for rotting teeth is "dental caries" or "tooth decay." 1
Definition and Pathophysiology
Dental caries is defined as a dynamic infectious disease process causing progressive destruction of hard tooth substance (enamel, dentine, and cementum) through demineralization of the inorganic portion and dissolution of the organic portion. 2
- The disease is characterized by a complex interaction between acid-producing bacteria (primarily Streptococcus mutans), fermentable carbohydrates, and host susceptibility factors including tooth enamel integrity. 1
- Caries represents a transmissible bacterial infection where bacterial metabolism of dietary sugars produces organic acids that diffuse into tooth structure and dissolve the mineral content. 3
- The process involves prolonged periods of low pH in the mouth, creating a net mineral loss from teeth through repeated cycles of demineralization and remineralization. 4
Clinical Variants and Terminology
Early childhood caries (ECC) is the specific term for tooth decay in any primary tooth in children younger than 6 years of age. 1
- This condition was previously called "nursing caries," "baby-bottle tooth decay," or "bottle caries," but ECC is now the preferred medical terminology as it better characterizes the disease complexity. 1
- Severe early childhood caries (S-ECC) represents an aggressive form classified by location, number of affected teeth, and age, often requiring surgical treatment under general anesthesia. 1
Disease Significance
Dental caries is the most prevalent pediatric infectious disease and the most common chronic disease of children, with 56% of U.S. schoolchildren having experienced tooth decay by age 9 years. 1
- The disease can lead to serious complications including malocclusion, nutritional problems (iron-deficiency anemia, vitamin D deficiency), painful dental infections or abscesses, and rarely death when infection penetrates the tooth pulp. 1
- Caries significantly impacts quality of life, causing pain, difficulty eating, and reduced overall health and well-being. 1