Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 19, 2026

Systematic Approach to Identify Novel Antimicrobial and Antibiofilm Molecules from Plants' Extracts and Fractions to Prevent Dental Caries
Published on: March 31, 2021
Dental caries: an infectious and transmissible disease
Page W Caufield1, Yihong Li, Ananda Dasanayake
1Division of Diagnostics, Infectious Disease, and Health Promotion, New York University College of Dentistry, New York, New York, USA.
Abstract:
By definition, dental caries is an infectious and transmissible disease because it is caused by bacteria colonizing the tooth surfaces. Unlike most infectious diseases affecting humans, caries is the result of an imbalance of the indigenous oral biota rather than a nonindigenous, exogenous pathogen. The introduction of refined sugar into modern society's diet has tipped the balance from health to disease. New insight into the natural history of the leading cariogenic bacteria, the mutans streptococci, may contribute ways to control or prevent this infectious disease. Here, we use the host-parasite model as a platform for viewing the pathogenicity of the caries process in contrast to other infectious diseases.
Related Concept Videos
Tooth Anatomy
The Crown, Neck, and Root
The visible part of the tooth is referred to as the crown. It's covered by enamel, the hardest substance in the human body. The crown is uniquely shaped for each type of tooth, allowing for different functions such as cutting, tearing, or grinding food.
Infection
The chain begins with pathogens: bacteria, viruses, fungi, prions, or parasites such as protozoa helminths. These can be present on the skin as transient or resident flora, or they can be acquired from the environment. Identifying and treating the type of infection and...
Infectious Diseases and Their Occurrence
The Oral Microbiota
Teeth
In the bud stage, the tooth germ (an aggregation of cells) starts to form in the developing jawbone. During the cap stage, the tooth germ differentiates into enamel organ, dental papilla, and dental sac, which will later develop into the tooth's enamel, dentin and...
Reservoir of Infection
