As you know, there has to be both dental plaque and dietary sugars present for tooth decay formation to occur. These conditions don't always exist but each time they do some tooth demineralization will occur. Over time there can be a point where the cumulative effect of each episode of demineralization has resulted in the formation of a cavity.
There is another important dynamic that takes place related to tooth decay formation besides just the demineralization of the tooth. If conditions are right, a tooth can undergo a remineralization process. Remineralization helps to counteract the damage done during demineralization. Remineralization in effect is somewhat like tooth decay in reverse. When conditions at a tooth's surface are non-acidic a remineralization process can take place. During this event minerals found in the oral environment can be re-incorporated into a tooth, thus reversing, or at least minimizing, the damage that was done to the tooth during the demineralization process (tooth decay formation). This repair process will continue until the repair has been completed, or else the next attack by bacterial acids has begun.
This tug of war action between the demineralization and remineralization processes, each of which can occur several times a day, is one reason why cavities can take many months to form. Actually, in some cases a tooth's remineralization can balance out the damage done during the demineralization stage. However, in those cases where there is heavy dental plaque accumulation or the person has a high sugar intake, the balance will tip to the side of tooth decay formation.
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