dental caries; tooth decay
Medical/dental term for cavities or tooth decay.
Dental caries is a disease in which the tooth surface is dissolved by acid.
定期的な歯科検診でう蝕を早期に発見できます。
Regular dental checkups can detect tooth decay early.
Standard kanji spelling for dental caries; う is a simplified rendering of 齲.
Full kanji form using the character 齲; less common but still encountered in medical contexts.
Irregular kanji usage; 食 is a simplification of 蝕, but this spelling is not standard.
From う (caries) + 蝕 (erosion). う is a simplified form of 齲 (tooth decay), and 蝕 refers to erosion or corrosion. The term is a modern medical coinage.