Tooth decay is the perfect 'subscribe to stay healthy' model.
And if tooth decay was ever solved, academic institutions and the entire industry would be destroyed, many lives and businesses would be ruined. Absolutely no one, in a position to make a difference, has an interest to do so.
We still use barbaric methods to cope with its effects. We've advanced so far in the fields of chemistry and biology yet nothing has changed about the way we practice dentistry. What gives?