[CARIES GENESIS IN THE ERA OF "OMICS"]

The search for an understanding of the genesis of tooth decay spans millennia. Streptococcus mutans have been proposed as the main etiological agents of dental cariessince the species discovery in 1924. However "Omics" era has provided a unique opportunity to unravel contemporary paradigms in the etiology of dental caries. Novel approaches using OMICS techniques has uncovered an extraordinarily diverse ecosystem of carious lesions where S. mutans accounts only a tiny fraction of the bacterial community. This supports the concept that caries has polymicrobial nature that do not follow classical Koch's postulates of infectious diseases and that the microbial causative agents are better described as pathobionts. Understanding the etiology of dental caries is not a mere academic exercise; it provides the basis for preventive, diagnostic, and treatment strategies and gives the dentist a theoretical framework to become a better professional.