Question

describe how the increased acidity leads to dental plaque and caries. (This section can reference the paper linked above by Neel

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5034904/

Answer 1

Sugar, saliva, and bacteria lead to a formidable combination that may lead to tooth decay. After eating sugar, particularly sucrose, and even within minutes of brushing your teeth, sticky glycoproteins (combination of carbohydrate and protein molecule) adhere to the teeth to start the formation of plaque.

In the next stage, the bacteria use the fructose in a metabolism process of glycolysis to get energy. The end product of glycolysis under anaerobic conditions is lactic acid. The lactic acid creates extra acidity to decrease the pH to the extent of dissolving the calcium phosphate in the tooth enamel leading to the start of a cavity.

Decrease in acidity leads to increase the acidic stregth which react with enamal made up of calcium phosphate.

Also acidic medium also increase the activity of enzyme which degrade the enamal.