Rare diseases · Sign or symptom

Carious teeth

Dental cavities

HP:0000670

What it means

Caries is a multifactorial bacterial infection affecting the structure of the tooth. This term has been used to describe the presence of more than expected dental caries.

It should be noted that it is not always possible to rule out environmental influences and that reports of association between hereditary diseases and susceptibility to dental caries should be regarded with caution.

In everyday care

Most people with this sign do not have a rare disease — it appears in common conditions far more often. These general reference pages cover the same topic:

Rare diseases that can present with this95

Very common80–99%

24

Common30–79%

35

The range is how often this sign appears among people diagnosed with each disease — it is not a probability of having any of them. Many of these signs also occur in common, non-rare conditions. A sign on this page is a conversation to have with a clinician, not a conclusion.

Part of the broader category

Also called: Caries · Cariosity of teeth · Dental caries · Dental decay · Early dental caries · Frequent caries · Rotting teeth · Tooth cavities

Carious teeth

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This page uses the Human Phenotype Ontology (2026-06-23) — Human Phenotype Ontology Consortium, hpo.jax.org. Disease associations from Orphanet (INSERM), CC BY 4.0. Content is educational and is not medical advice.