Tooth decay (dental caries) is damage to a tooth that can happen when decay-causing bacteria in your mouth make acids that attack the tooth’s surface, or enamel. This can lead to a small hole in a tooth, called a cavity. If tooth decay is not treated, it can cause pain, infection, and even tooth loss.

People of all ages can get tooth decay once they have teeth—from childhood through the senior years.

Young children are at risk for “early childhood caries,” sometimes called baby bottle tooth decay, which is severe tooth decay in baby teeth.

Because many older adults experience receding gums, which allows decay-causing bacteria in the mouth to come into contact with the tooth’s root, they can get decay on the exposed root surfaces of their teeth.

Dental Caries in the Permanent (Adult) Teeth

Dental caries (tooth decay), both treated and untreated, has declined among adolescents ages 12 to 19 years from the early 1970s until the most recent (2011–2016) National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). In spite of this decline, significant disparities are still found in some population groups. Although there was an increase in caries in Mexican American adolescents, there also was a significant decline in untreated caries in this ethnic group. More than half of older adolescents (ages 16 to 19 years) had caries.

This patient fact sheet discusses how transplantation and anti-rejection medications affect oral health and the steps to take before and after transplantation to keep the mouth healthy.

This fact sheet for dental professionals presents the challenges in treating pre- and post-transplant patients and offers strategies for providing care.

This fact sheet provides full color photographs of oral conditions, each accompanied by a paragraph of descriptive text and a recommendation for health care providers who encounter the condition.

Fact sheet on treatment for TMJ disorders.

This fact sheet for oral health professionals discusses preventing and managing complications common to a patient's cancer treatment. Also included is the role of dental professionals before, during, and after treatment.

This brochure is for people with gum disease. It discusses the causes, diagnosis, and treatment options.

This poster is designed to raise African American men's awareness of their risk for oral cancer and the importance of early detection. Part of the "Oral Cancer: What African American Men Need to Know" series.

A companion to "Are You at Risk for Oral Cancer? What African American Men Need to Know," this card describes the steps of an oral cancer examination.