A theoretical model based on the mode expansion of the traveling wave equations is developed to investigate the mode interaction processes behind the photon-photon resonance (PPR) effect in distributed Bragg reflector (DBR) lasers. With dual-mode rate equations, strength of mode interactions is characterized by the cross power and the coupling factors, which arise from the non-orthogonality of the main mode and the PPR mode. Small signal analysis and large-signal dynamics are performed, and results indicate that the cross power is a key contributor to the PPR effect.