Sugars and dental caries
- PMID: 14522753
- DOI: 10.1093/ajcn/78.4.881S
Sugars and dental caries
Abstract
A dynamic relation exists between sugars and oral health. Diet affects the integrity of the teeth; quantity, pH, and composition of the saliva; and plaque pH. Sugars and other fermentable carbohydrates, after being hydrolyzed by salivary amylase, provide substrate for the actions of oral bacteria, which in turn lower plaque and salivary pH. The resultant action is the beginning of tooth demineralization. Consumed sugars are naturally occurring or are added. Many factors in addition to sugars affect the caries process, including the form of food or fluid, the duration of exposure, nutrient composition, sequence of eating, salivary flow, presence of buffers, and oral hygiene. Studies have confirmed the direct relation between intake of dietary sugars and dental caries across the life span. Since the introduction of fluoride, the incidence of caries worldwide has decreased, despite increases in sugars consumption. Other dietary factors (eg, the presence of buffers in dairy products; the use of sugarless chewing gum, particularly gum containing xylitol; and the consumption of sugars as part of meals rather than between meals) may reduce the risk of caries. The primary public health measures for reducing caries risk, from a nutrition perspective, are the consumption of a balanced diet and adherence to dietary guidelines and the dietary reference intakes; from a dental perspective, the primary public health measures are the use of topical fluorides and consumption of fluoridated water.
Similar articles
-
Nutritional role of sugars in oral health.Am J Clin Nutr. 1995 Jul;62(1 Suppl):275S-282S; discussion 282S-283S. doi: 10.1093/ajcn/62.1.275S. Am J Clin Nutr. 1995. PMID: 7598084 Review.
-
Nomenclature, characteristics, and dietary intakes of sugars.J Am Dent Assoc. 2015 Jan;146(1):61-4. doi: 10.1016/j.adaj.2014.11.007. Epub 2014 Dec 18. J Am Dent Assoc. 2015. PMID: 25569500
-
Dietary effects on dental diseases.Public Health Nutr. 2001 Apr;4(2B):569-91. doi: 10.1079/phn2001142. Public Health Nutr. 2001. PMID: 11683551 Review.
-
Changing patterns of oral health and implications for oral health manpower: Part I. Report of a Working Group convened jointly by the Fédération Dentaire Internationale and the World Health Organisation.Int Dent J. 1985 Sep;35(3):235-51. Int Dent J. 1985. PMID: 3863801
-
[Factors that modify de- and remineralization in dental enamel from the aspect of caries susceptibility].Ann Acad Med Stetin. 1999;Suppl 47:1-89. Ann Acad Med Stetin. 1999. PMID: 10462837 Review. Polish.
Cited by
-
The Evolving Microbiome of Dental Caries.Microorganisms. 2024 Jan 7;12(1):121. doi: 10.3390/microorganisms12010121. Microorganisms. 2024. PMID: 38257948 Free PMC article. Review.
-
A Predictive Model for Root Caries Incidence.Caries Res. 2016;50(3):271-8. doi: 10.1159/000445445. Epub 2016 May 3. Caries Res. 2016. PMID: 27160516 Free PMC article.
-
Free sugar intake and associated factors among Sri Lankan preschool children.BMC Nutr. 2022 Nov 21;8(1):137. doi: 10.1186/s40795-022-00638-0. BMC Nutr. 2022. PMID: 36411465 Free PMC article.
-
Catering Work Profession and Medico-Oral Health: A Study on 603 Subjects.Healthcare (Basel). 2021 May 13;9(5):582. doi: 10.3390/healthcare9050582. Healthcare (Basel). 2021. PMID: 34068356 Free PMC article.
-
Consumption of soda and other sugar-sweetened beverages by 2-year-olds: findings from a population-based survey.Public Health Nutr. 2013 Oct;16(10):1760-7. doi: 10.1017/S1368980012004399. Epub 2012 Oct 4. Public Health Nutr. 2013. PMID: 23034190 Free PMC article.
Publication types
MeSH terms
Substances
LinkOut - more resources
Full Text Sources
Other Literature Sources
Medical