A disease in which the hard substance of the teeth is destroyed by acids produced by bacteria in the mouth. Colloquially, it is often called a 'Loch im Zahn' (hole in the tooth).
example
Der Zahnarzt hat bei mir Karies im Backenzahn festgestellt.
The dentist found tooth decay in one of my molars.
Usage tips
Use in the singular
The word 'Karies' (tooth decay) is a non-count noun and is used almost exclusively in the singular. People say 'viel Karies' (a lot of tooth decay) or 'wenig Karies' (little tooth decay), but not '*zwei Karies' (*two tooth decays).
'Karies' (tooth decay) is the medical technical term used by dentists and in health texts. In everyday conversation, however, the term is also very common.
EXAMPLE
Die Aufklärung über Karies beginnt schon im Kindergarten.
Education about tooth decay starts as early as kindergarten.
Typical collocations
'Karies' (tooth decay) is often used with the verbs 'haben' (to have), 'bekommen' (to get), or 'vorbeugen' (to prevent). The combination 'eine Behandlung gegen Karies' (a treatment for tooth decay) is also very common.
EXAMPLE
Viele Kinder haben heutzutage zum Glück keine Karies mehr.
Fortunately, many children today no longer have tooth decay.