Dental caries — better known as tooth decay — is the breakdown of teeth due to bacteria. (“Caries” is Latin for “rottenness.”) It is one of the most common chronic diseases and a major public health problem, especially as the average life expectancy of humans increases.
The Northwestern discovery in the building blocks of enamel — with detail down to the nanoscale — could lead to a better understanding of human tooth decay as well as genetic conditions that affect enamel formation, which can lead to highly compromised or completely absent enamel.
