Different Definition of Dental Caries

GV Black

Dental caries is defined as the chemical dissolution of the calcium salts, first of the enamel then of the dentin by lactic acid

Shafer

Dental caries is defined as irreversible microbial disease of the calcified tissues of the teeth characterized by demineralization of the inorganic portion and destruction of organic substance of the tooth

Kess and Ash

Dental caries is a disease involving hard portions of the teeth which are exposed in oral cavity and is characterized by disintegration of enamel, dentin and cementum forming open cavities

Last

Dental caries is an illness due to specific infectious agent or its toxic products that arises through transmission of that agent or its products from an infected person, animal or reservoir to a susceptible host

Sturdevant

Dental caries is an infectious microbiologic disease of the teeth that results in localized dissolution and destruction of calcified tissues

GJ Mount

Caries is perceived to be a prolonged imbalance in the oral cavity such that the factors favoring demineralization of enamel and dentin overwhelm the factors that favor remineralization and repair of those tissues

Cawson

Dental caries can be defined as progressive, irreversible bacterial damage to teeth exposed to the oral environment

Kidd and Smith

Caries is a disease of the calcified tissues of the teeth caused by the action of micro-organisms on fermentable carbohydrates

Lundeen

Dental caries is an infectious microbiological disease that results in localized dissolution and destruction of the calcified tissues of the teeth and progresses as a series of exacerbations and remissions

Ernest Newburn

Dental caries or tooth decay, is a pathological process of localized destruction of tooth tissues by microoganisms

Ostrom

Dental caries is a process of enamel or dentin dissolution that is caused by microbial action at the tooth surface and is mediated by physiochemical flow of water dissolved ions

Hume

Dental caries is essentially a progressive loss by acid dissolution of the apatite (mineral) component of the enamel then the dentin, or of the cementum, then dentin

Fejerskov and Nyvad

The dental caries is a complex disease caused by an imbalance in physiologic equilibrium between tooth mineral and biofilm fluid

Selwitz

Dental caries is a multifactorial disease that starts with microbiological shifts within the complex bioflim and is affected by salivary flow and composition, exposure to fluoride, consumption of dietary sugars and by preventive behaviours (cleaning teeth). Howeer, it is mainly a disease that dates back to antiquity and has also occurred in populations that have never used sugar or processed foods

Sikri

Dental caries is an infectious disease caused by imbalance of oral microorganisms leading to acid production and subsequently dissolving the hard tissues of tooth