Carious Teeth Research Articles

Silver Diamine Fluoride: Clinical Tips

Caries continues to be a public health problem worldwide, and the prevention and conventional treatment of carious lesions may present challenges. Caries into dentine in primary teeth is common, with 30% of five-year-olds having dental caries in Ireland.1 In young children, there can be barriers to using some of the evidence-based recommended techniques to restore carious teeth. Reasons for this include access, co-operation and age. Similarly, root caries, commonly found in older adults, can be challenging to manage conventionally, particularly where the caries rate is high and there are access barriers or medical comorbidities. Silver diamine fluoride (SDF) is an alternative option to treat such cases where conventional methods are not appropriate or achievable for the patient.

Factors associated with self-rated poor oral health and chewing discomfort of Korean elderly

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to analyze the factors associated with self-rated poor oral health and chewing discomfort among Korean elderly people in the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey(KNHANES).Materials and Methods: Data from the 7th(2016-2018) KNHANES were downloaded from the KNHANES website.Participants were older adults aged 70 years who responded to a questionnaire about their self-rated oral health or chewing discomfort. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed by dividing demographic and oral health factors into three models, and odds ratios with 95% confidence intervals were presented.Results: For self-rated poor oral health, up to 1.59 times increase in caries in permanent teeth and up to 1.84 times increase in severe periodontitis, and up to 2.41 times increase in negative perceptions for those with 20 or more natural teeth compared to those without. In terms of chewing discomfort, depending on the model, those with a middle school diploma or less had up to 2.05 times more discomfort than those with a college degree or higher. Having severe periodontitis was associated with up to 1.68 times more discomfort, and having fewer than 20 natural teeth was associated with up to 2.46 times more discomfort.Conclusion: Some demographic factors and a number of oral health factors were found to be associated with self-rated poor oral health and chewing discomfort in older adults. Further in-depth analyses that reflect additional factors that were not included in the study are necessary.

ОСЛОЖНЕННЫЙ КАРИЕС В ПОСТОЯННЫХ НЕСФОРМИРОВАННЫХ ЗУБАХ У ДЕТЕЙ: ЭФФЕКТИВНОСТЬ ЛЕЧЕНИЯ

A literature review is presented on the problem of complicated tooth decay in permanent teeth with unformed roots in children, which is one of the main ones in pediatric dentistry.
 Objectives — to evaluate the effectiveness of treatment methods for complicated caries in permanent immature teeth in children.
 Methodology. A review of scientific papers in the medical resources PubMED, MEDLINE, eLibrary.ru, Complete, Scopus, Springer was conducted. The article presents two clinical cases using: the method of direct coating of pulp in the tooth 2.4 in a girl 8 years old; method of revascularization in the tooth 1.1 in a girl 7 years old.
 Results. These clinical cases indicate that the method of direct coating of pulp is effective even with sufficient pronounced destruction of the permanent tooth and contributes to the full formation of the root, and the method of revascularization contributes to the development of the root even in cases where the sprout zone of the root is damaged in the forming tooth, adequate treatment was started after a long period of time.
 Conclusions. Literary sources and clinical cases show the high survival rate of teeth with unformed roots with complicated caries and the further functioning of teeth for a long time. Most often, when treating teeth with unformed roots and necrotic pulp, a method aimed at apexification is used, but nevertheless, a promising replacement for the treatment of teeth with apical periodontitis is the revascularization method.

Radiographic texture analysis of the hard tissue changes following socket preservation with allograft and xenograft materials for dental implantation: a randomized clinical trial.

This study aimed to assess the hard tissue changes following socket preservation with allograft and xenograft materials for dental implantation by texture analysis (TA) using cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT). This prospective clinical trial was conducted on 25 patients who required the extraction of carious mandibular posterior teeth and their subsequent replacement with dental implants. The patients were categorized into three groups: (I) no socket preservation, (II) socket preservation with xenograft material, and (III) socket preservation with allograft material. Four months after tooth extraction, the patients were recalled for preoperative assessment before dental implantation, and CBCT scans were obtained (Kvp:110, mA:1.94, S:3.6). MaZda software was used to compare homogeneity, contrast, and texture complexity on axial CBCT sections among the three groups. Significant differences existed among the three groups in all parameters (P < 0.05) except for the mean correlation parameter (P > 0.05). The results showed no significant difference between the no graft and xenograft groups regarding contrast and differential (dif.) entropy (P > 0.05). Also, no significant difference was found between the xenograft and allograft groups regarding the dif. variance and also between the no graft and allograft groups regarding the inverse difference moment(InvDfMom) and dif. variance parameters (P > 0.05). All other pairwise comparisons revealed significant differences (P < 0.05). TA can be used for the quantification of radiographic changes of bone following socket preservation and potentially accelerate the process of decision-making for dental implant treatment.

Prevalence of Caries with its Distribution by Age &amp; Gender in Institutional Clinical Patients

Introduction: Consequence of dental caries is loose of healthy tooth structure which impacts negatively on aesthetics, function, self-esteem and quality of life of the patients. Different age groups and populations exhibit distinct caries prevalence rates, observations of which could provide a useful descriptive measure of caries susceptibility in tooth surfaces. Materials and Methods: In this study, patients attending the Department of Conservative Dentistry &amp; Endodontics of Dhaka Dental College &amp; Hospital, located in Mirpur-14 and Department of Conservative Dentistry &amp; Endodontics of Sapporo Dental College &amp; Hospital, located in Abdullahpur (North Dhaka City), Bangladesh, were examined between 2017 and 2019. The location of dental caries on the teeth surfaces was recorded as following surface: Occlusal , Mesio-occlusal, Disto-occlusal, Proximal and Cervical for statistical evaluation and comparison. Furthermore, the age and gender of the patients were recorded on the chart for each caries tooth. Result: Female had higher incidence 86 (57%) of caries than males 64 (43%). Caries distribution was common in the maxillary jaw (53.38%) than in the mandibular jaw (46.62%). Among our study patient occlusoal surface caries was most commonly observed (43.4%). Then, the proximal surface caries was seen in 28.3% cases. Overall 71.7% prevalence of caries was in occlusal and proximal area. Where, prevalence of proximal and cervical surface caries was higher in maxillary tooth (18.9% and 4.82%) than mandibular tooth (9.3% and 2.6%) respectively. Conclusion: Female are more prevalent to dental caries than male. Occlusoal surface caries is most commonly observed, then, the proximal surface caries are commonly seen. Occlusal surface caries is more common in mandibular tooth than maxillary. Where, proximal and cervical surface caries was higher in maxillary tooth. Medicine Today 2023 Vol.35(2): 78-82

The Influence of Fixed Orthodontic Appliances on Periodontal Health Status

The orthodontic appliance may interfere with the removal of plaque, and interfere with the gingival health. Inflammation of the gingiva may start in patients wearing orthodontic appliance who do not maintain proper oral hygiene. As the parts of the orthodontic appliance associated with food deposits and bacterial accumulation. This plaque accumulation around the orthodontic appliance may lead to periodontal tissue inflammation and caries in teeth. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of fixed orthodontic appliance on the health of periodontium. The indices like plaque scale (PLS) g ingival scale (GS) ,bleeding scale (BS).

Carious typodont teeth's effectiveness in pre-doctoral SIM lab to reinforce operative learning.

The concept of ideal preparations in dental schools are highly emphasized during the first two years of students' learning. However, students do not have as much opportunity to practice skills that would prepare them for real-life stituations such as non-ideal preparations and caries removal. This study aimed to determine the benefits of utilizing carious typodont teeth in the Operative curriculum for first- and second-year UCSF dental students METHODS: This study was completed by hosting a workshop in which the students performed a Class II preparation on #19 carious typodont tooth. The students filled out pre- and post-surveys with questions about their confidence with performing a preparation and their opinions on the current curriculum. The pre-survey responses showed that the majority of the first- and second-year students did not believe that the traditional non-carious typodont teeth were a good representation of prepping on real, carious teeth. The pre-survey responses also showed that most of the first- and second-year students thought that the addition of carious typodont teeth would improve their learning experience. The post-survey results displayed that the majority of the students thought that prepping carious typodont teeth helped to better reinforce concepts such as preparation design, taught them the difference between ideal and non-ideal preparations, and allowed them to better understand tooth anatomy with the addition of the dentin layer. The use of the carious typodont teeth in pre-clinical operative lab was found to be beneficial to first- and second-year UCSF student's learning based on the pre- and post-survey results.

Estimated impact of the UK soft drinks industry levy on childhood hospital admissions for carious tooth extractions: interrupted time series analysis

IntroductionTooth extraction due to dental caries is associated with socioeconomic deprivation and is a major reason for elective childhood hospital admissions in England. Consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages is a risk...

A Randomized Controlled Trial Evaluating the Effectiveness of Nanosilver Fluoride in Arresting Dental Caries in School Children.

The study evaluated the effectiveness of nanosilver fluoride (NSF) in arresting dental caries in 4-8-year-old school children. The two-arm, parallel-group randomized controlled trial included a total of 148 children aged 4-8 years with active carious lesions. Children were randomly divided into two groups: group I-NSF (n = 74); and group II-water (placebo and n = 74). Baseline data were recorded using the International Caries Detection and Assessment System (ICDAS) II criteria, and the teeth were treated with either of the solutions. Later, the teeth were evaluated by two blinded examiners for the lesion activity using ICDAS II criteria at 1, 3, and 6-month intervals. The obtained data were analyzed using the Chi-squared test for intergroup comparison and Cochran's Q test for intragroup comparison. Cohen's κ test was used to check the interexaminer and intraexaminer variability. Carious teeth treated with NSF have shown 56.3, 59.2, and 62% arrested carious lesions, whereas the placebo group has shown 0, 2.9, and 4.4% arrested lesions at 1, 3, and 6-month intervals, respectively. NSF showed a high statistically significant difference (p < 0.001) in arresting dental caries compared to the control group at all the time intervals. Nanosilver fluoride (NSF) is found to be effective in arresting dental caries without staining carious lesions. Therefore, it can be used to reduce the bacterial load for caries stabilization in the initial phase of the comprehensive treatment protocol for the management of children with active caries lesions. Most of the decayed teeth in the primary dentition remain untreated either because of inaccessible dental services or the uncooperativeness of children. Hence, there is an absolute need for a cariostatic agent which arrests the progression of caries in a simple and noninvasive manner. The results of this study evidence that NSF effectively arrests dental caries in primary teeth. Hence, this can be a very economical way of arresting caries in the population who don't have access to regular dental treatment. Devi C, Chandrasekhar R, Vinay C, et al. A Randomized Controlled Trial Evaluating the Effectiveness of Nanosilver Fluoride in Arresting Dental Caries in School Children. Int J Clin Pediatr Dent 2023;16(5):667-670.

Complimentary Staining of Caries Detector Dyes in Primary Teeth with or without the Application of a Dentine Bonding Agent

Background: Caries detector dyes are introduced to aid in identifying infected dentine. Many researchers claim that they are not specific in identifying infected dentine since dyes also stains sound tooth surfaces. The use of a dentine bonding agent could help in avoiding the penetration of caries detector dyes to some extent in less mineralized primary teeth. This study assesses caries detector dyes penetration in primary teeth with or without dentine bonding agent application. Methodology: Ninety primary extracted carious teeth were considered for the study. Teeth were divided in to two groups (45 teeth each group): group I with dye application without dentine bonding agent and group II with dye application after dentine bonding agent; in both groups three different types of dyes were used. All cavity walls and surfaces of samples in group 1 were stained with caries detector dyes for 10 s, subsequently washed with water for another 10 s and finally air-dried. A similar procedure was carried for teeth in group II after the application of a bonding agent on visibly sound tooth surfaces without the use of an etchant. Results: A statistically significant difference between two groups for staining of different tooth surfaces was noted. A Kruskal–Wallis one-way ANOVA revealed a statistically significant difference in stain removal among the different groups either by distilled water or sodium hypochlorite were observed. Conclusion: A dentine bonding agent can help in preventing caries detector dye penetration in noncarious tooth surfaces of deciduous teeth.

Dental Caries Detection and Classification in CBCT Images Using Deep Learning

ObjectivesThis study aimed to investigate the accuracy of deep learning algorithms to diagnose tooth caries and classify the extension and location of dental caries in cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) images. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to evaluate the application of deep learning for dental caries in CBCT images. MethodsThe CBCT image dataset comprised 382 molar teeth with caries and 403 noncarious molar cases. The dataset was divided into a development set for training and validation and test set. Three images were obtained for each case, including axial, sagittal, and coronal. The test dataset was provided to a multiple-input convolutional neural network (CNN). The network made predictions regarding the presence or absence of dental decay and classified the lesions according to their depths and types for the provided samples. Accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, and F1 score values were measured for dental caries detection and classification. ResultsThe diagnostic accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, and F1 score for caries detection in carious molar teeth were 95.3%, 92.1%, 96.3%, and 93.2%, respectively, and for noncarious molar teeth were 94.8%, 94.3%, 95.8%, and 94.6%. The CNN network showed high sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy in classifying caries extensions and locations. ConclusionsThis research demonstrates that deep learning models can accurately identify dental caries and classify their depths and types with high accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity. The successful application of deep learning in this field will undoubtedly assist dental practitioners and patients in improving diagnostic and treatment planning in dentistry. Clinical significance: This study showed that deep learning can accurately detect and classify dental caries. Deep learning can provide dental caries detection accurately. Considering the shortage of dentists in certain areas, using CNNs can lead to broader geographic coverage in detecting dental caries.

Ozone: An Adjunct in Dental Treatment.

Ozone is utilized in dentistry as ozonated oils, ozonated water, and gaseous ozone. The application of ozone in all specialties of dentistry has been demonstrated to be biocompatible. It has been demonstrated to encourage the remineralization of recently carious teeth, and it is utilized in dental caries and intracanal irrigants in endodontic treatment. Herpes virus infection, avascular osteonecrosis of the jaw, and alveolitis have all been treated with it. It can be applied as a supplement in the surgical and ongoing stages of periodontal disease and also hinders plaque formation. The purpose of the present review article is to discuss the numerous application of ozone in dentistry.

Perceptions of oral health promotion in primary schools among health and education officials, community leaders, policy makers, teachers, and parents in Gulu district, northern Uganda: A qualitative study.

One in every two cases of caries in deciduous teeth occurs in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). The aim of the World Health Organisation's (WHO) Healthy Schools Program is to improve the oral health of children. This study explored perceptions of implementation of the Ugandan oral health schools' program in Gulu district, northern Uganda. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with a purposive sample of 19 participants including health and education officials, community leaders, policy makers, teachers, and parents. All interviews were transcribed verbatim and analysed thematically. Our study identified three themes: (1) components of oral health promotion, (2) implementation challenges of oral health promotion, and (3) development of an oral health policy. The components of oral health promotion in schools included engagement of health workers, the community, companies, skills-based education, and oral health services. Participants were concerned about insufficient funding, unsatisfactory skills-based education, and inadequate dental screening. Participants reported that there was an urgent need to develop oral health policy to guide implementation of the program at scale. Schools provided oral health promotion that aligned with existing features of the WHO's health-promoting school framework. Implementation of this strategy could be enhanced with increased resources, adequate oral health education, and explicit development of oral health policy.

Enhancing prediction of tooth caries using significant features and multi-model classifier

Background Tooth decay, also known as dental caries, is a common oral health problem that requires early diagnosis and treatment to prevent further complications. It is a chronic disease that causes the gradual breakdown of the tooth’s hard tissues, primarily due to the interaction of bacteria and dietary sugars. Results While numerous investigations have focused on addressing this issue using image-based datasets, the outcomes have revealed limitations in their effectiveness. In a novel approach, this study focuses on feature-based datasets, coupled with the strategic integration of Principle Component Analysis (PCA) and Chi-square (chi2) for robust feature engineering. In the proposed model, features are generated using PCA, utilizing a voting classifier ensemble consisting of Extreme Gradient Boosting (XGB), Random Forest (RF), and Extra Trees Classifier (ETC) algorithms. Discussion Extensive experiments were conducted to compare the proposed approach with the chi2 features and machine learning models to evaluate its efficacy for tooth caries detection. The results showed that the proposed voting classifier using PCA features outperformed the other approaches, achieving an accuracy, precision, recall, and F1 score of 97.36%, 96.14%, 96.84%, and 96.65%, respectively. Conclusion The study demonstrates that the utilization of feature-based datasets and PCA-based feature engineering, along with a voting classifier ensemble, significantly improves tooth caries detection accuracy compared to image-based approaches. The achieved high accuracy, precision, recall, and F1 score emphasize the potential of the proposed model for effective dental caries detection. This study provides new insights into the potential of innovative methodologies to improve dental healthcare by evaluating their effectiveness in addressing prevalent oral health issues.

Association between the number of convenience stores and caries status in permanent teeth among elementary school children: results from the A-CHILD population-based longitudinal cohort study

BackgroundIn Japan, people have rich access to 24-h convenience stores where they can buy sweets, juice and fluoride hygiene products, among others. However, the association between the number of convenience stores in a neighbourhood and caries in elementary school children status has not been studied. This study aimed to investigate this particular association.MethodsData were derived from a population-based longitudinal cohort study (A-CHILD study) of elementary school children from first-grade to fourth-grade in Adachi City, Tokyo. Caregivers were asked to complete a questionnaire in 2015, 2016, and 2018. A total of 3,136 caregivers provided a valid response. We analysed the association using multilevel Poisson regression.ResultsThe mean number of caries among children in school districts with low, middle, and high number of convenience stores was 0.31 (SD: 0.81), 0.21 (SD: 0.69), and 0.16 (SD: 0.58). After covariate adjustment, children in the school districts with high and middle number of convenience stores had 44% (mean ratio 0.56, 95% CI: 0.31, 0.998) and 31% (mean ratio 0.69, 95% CI: 0.42, 1.13) fewer caries in their permanent teeth, respectively, than children in the school districts with low number of convenience stores. We also found dose–response relationship (p for trend: 0.042).ConclusionHigher number of convenience stores in a school district was associated with fewer caries in permanent teeth among elementary school children. Further study elucidating the mechanism on this protective association is warranted.

Viability Base Gel as Potential for Fabricating &lt;i&gt;Crassostrea gigas hydroxyapatite&lt;/i&gt; (HA-&lt;i&gt;Crassostrea gigas shell&lt;/i&gt;) Gel for Dental Caries Repair

This study aims to create a gel base composition that has the potential to be combined with hydroxyapatite from the biogenic material Crassostrea gigas as a gel that can repair dental caries. The base gel composition consists of Na-CMC, guar gum, and glycerin which can dissolve the HA element without settling so that it can be applied well to the teeth. nano HA contained in Crassostrea gigas can potentially remineralize and improve caries in teeth. Therefore, it is inevitable that the base gel is safe to make composites with nano HA as a function of repairing dental caries. The potential of HA as a tooth remineralization material was proven by the SEM, FTIR, and XRD characterization of CaCO3 and CaO, which have sharp crystallinity. The base gel is safe to be applied to the bones of the teeth by the MTT test treatment. This proves that the base gel is not toxic and has high viability of 92.66% at a dose of 31.25 μg/mL. The IC50 value was 688.6 μg/ml. These results are safe to be applied with nano HA material and are safe to be applied to the bones of the teeth.

The Relationship Between Salivary Flow Rate and Malnutrition in Elderly

Purpose: This study aimed to evaluate the relationship between salivary flow rate (SFR) and nutritional status of elderly.Materials and methods: The study included 63 elderly people (20 males, 43 females, age: 70.83±6.42 years) who applied to the dentist's office. The data were collected by face-to-face interview method and sociodemographic characteristics, information on employment status and lifestyle habits of the participants were recorded in the questionnaire. To determine nutritional status, 3-day food consumption records were taken, Mini Nutritional Assessment Test (MNA) was applied and anthropometric parameters were measured. The carious teeth (DMFT) index and oral health impact scale (OHIP-14) were used to assess oral health, and unstimulated SFR was measured.&#x0D; Results: According to MNA, 23.8% of the elderly were malnourished or at risk of malnutrition. The mean SFR of the elderly was 0.40±0.31 ml/min and 15.9% of them had low SFR. The mean SFR of the elderly with normal body weight was higher than that of the obese (p

Supragingival mycobiome of HIV-exposed-but-uninfected children reflects a stronger correlation with caries-free-associated taxa compared to HIV-infected or uninfected children.

Highly active antiretroviral treatment (HAART) has greatly reduced opportunistic infections in HIV-infected individuals. However, even with the use of HAART, HIV-infected individuals are still at an increased risk of oral diseases, including dental caries. Dental caries development is associated with microbial community shifts leading to community dysbiosis. HIV infection can significantly alter the bacteriome and mycobiome composition in the oral cavity; however, these impacts have not been assessed for caries initiation and progression. The aim of this study was to characterize the mycobiome for supragingival plaque samples from HIV-infected (HI), HIV-exposed-but-uninfected (HEU), and HIV-unexposed-and-uninfected (HUU) children with and without caries. To accomplish this, ITS1 amplicons of 127 samples were sequenced. We found that HIV infection and exposure resulted in changes to the supragingival plaque mycobiome for both health and caries. Overall, a reduction in community diversity as caries progressed was observed, with HI children having the lowest diversity and HEU children the highest. Candida albicans was the most abundant species identified, with 177 different amplicon sequence variants (ASVs). Two C. albicans ASVs dominated the data (53.0% and 38.5% of all taxonomic assignments). The more frequent ASV dominated HI and HUU communities, whereas the second dominated HEU communities. HEU children also had the lowest abundance of C. albicans and the highest number of health-associated taxa (taxa statistically associated with caries-free teeth).IMPORTANCEGlobally, caries is among the most frequent chronic childhood disease, and the fungal component of the microbial community responsible is poorly studied despite evidence that fungi contribute to increased acid production exacerbating enamel demineralization. HIV infection is another global health crisis. Perinatal HIV exposure with infection are caries risk factors; however, the caries experience in the context of perinatal HIV exposure without infection is less clear. Using high-throughput amplicon sequencing, we find taxonomic differences that become pronounced during late-stage caries. Notably, we show a stronger correlation with health-associated taxa for HIV-exposed-but-uninfected children when compared to unexposed and uninfected children. This aligns with a lower incidence of caries in primary teeth at age 6 or less for exposed yet uninfected children. Ultimately, these findings could contribute to improved risk assessment, intervention, and prevention strategies such as biofilm disruption and the informed design of pro-, pre-, and synbiotic oral therapies.

DENTAL AND ORAL HEALTH CARE MODEL IN PEDIATRIC PATIENT

Background: Basic Health Research in 2018 stated that 57.6% of the Indonesian population had dental and oral health problems with the largest proportion in the 5-9 year old group at 67.3%, 10-14 year olds 55.6%. The presentation of caries in primary teeth and permanent teeth in children is 62-65.8%. Factors that cause dental caries are influenced by the behavior of children who do not maintain oral hygiene, amounting to 2.8% in Indonesia, because children have characteristics that are not yet capable of being responsible for doing things, so they need treatment. Objective: Develop a model design, carry out expert validation tests for feasibility and prove that the dental and oral health care service model is effective in an effort to reduce the anxiety level of pediatric patients in treatment. Method: Research and Development with a Quasy experimental Pretest-Posttest group design. The sampling technique used purposive sampling for Dental and Oral Therapists and Child Patients at RSGM UNIMUS. 10 Dental and Oral Therapists intervened, 11 child patients were given the Care Model Results of Development and Control, 10 Dental and Oral Therapists, 11 child patients at RSGM Unimus were given the 2006 Minister of Health Decree 284 Care Model. Data collection techniques in this research were interviews, pre-test and post-test. The validity of expert data was tested using the Intraclass Correlation Coefficient (ICC) and the effectiveness of the model was tested using Wilcoxon and Mann-Whitney. Results: The dental and oral health care model for pediatric patients is suitable as dental and oral health care for pediatric patients in specialist pediatric dentistry clinics with expert validation results of p 0.002, knowledge of Dental and Oral Therapists with a value of ?=3.90, attitude ?=23.50 , skills ?=4.20, pediatric patient anxiety ?=14.36, pediatric patient satisfaction ?=18.36. Conclusion: The dental and oral health service model is feasible and effective in reducing the anxiety level of pediatric patients during treatment

The role of microbial interactions in dental caries: Dental plaque microbiota analysis

ObjectivesDental caries is a result of the ecological dysfunction of the polymicrobial community on the tooth surface, which evolves through microbial interactions. In this study, we conducted a thorough analysis of the dental plaque microbiome to comprehend its multi-microbial aetiology. Materials and methodIn this study, plaque was collected from healthy tooth surfaces, shallow carious teeth and deep carious teeth, and bacterial composition and abundance were assessed using 16S rRNA high-throughput sequencing. Random forest and LEfSe were used to profile various microorganisms at each stage. Additionally, we developed a molecular ecological network (MEN) based on random matrix theory (RMT) to examine microbial interactions for the first time. ResultsOur results reveal that Scardovia wiggsiae, Streptococcus mutans, and Propionibacterium acidifaciens may be associated with initial caries, and Propionibacterium acidifaciens differentiates between shallow and deep caries. As caries progressed, the alpha diversity index declined, indicating a decrease in microbial variety. The network topological indices such as centralization betweenness revealed that the caries network had become more complex, involving more microbial interactions. The shallow network revealed a high negative correlation ratio across nodes, indicating that microbes competed heavily. In contrast, the positive correlation ratio of deep network nodes was high, and microorganisms transitioned from a competitive to a synergistic state. ConclusionsThis study suggests that microbial diversity and interactions are critical to caries progression and that future caries research should give greater consideration to the role of microbial interaction factors in caries progression.