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. 2022 Jun 13;19(12):7245.
doi: 10.3390/ijerph19127245.

Impact of Dietary Patterns on Plaque Acidogenicity and Dental Caries in Early Childhood: A Retrospective Analysis in Japan

Yukie Nakai  1 , Yukako Mori-Suzuki  2
Affiliations

Impact of Dietary Patterns on Plaque Acidogenicity and Dental Caries in Early Childhood: A Retrospective Analysis in Japan

Yukie Nakai et al. Int J Environ Res Public Health. .

Abstract

This study aimed to assess the relationship of dietary patterns, such as frequency, timing, and cariogenicity of food/beverage consumption, with plaque acidogenicity and early childhood caries (ECC) in Japan. A total of 118 children aged 1-4 years who had visited the pediatric dental clinic were enrolled. We retrospectively reviewed their records to collect data including age, sex, medical history, medication, caries status, and plaque acidogenicity level at the first dental visit. The plaque acidogenicity level was measured using Cariostat®. Dietary data were collected from 3-day dietary records, and the dietary cariogenicity score was calculated from these data. Children with ECC or high plaque acidogenicity consumed between-meal sugars more frequently than did their counterparts (p = 0.002 and p = 0.006, respectively). Children with ECC or high plaque acidogenicity drank juices between meals more frequently than at mealtimes (p = 0.02). Frequent consumption of between-meal sugars was associated with higher plaque acidogenicity and ECC, and frequent breast/bottle feeding was associated with ECC. No differences were found in the dietary cariogenicity scores between these groups. Therefore, the frequency and timing of sugar consumption, might affect plaque acidogenicity and ECC, and reducing the frequency of sugar intake could prevent ECC.

Keywords: cariogenic diet; dental caries; dietary sugars; feeding behavior; oral health.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Frequencies of between-meal sugar consumption and caries status. The proportions of children with ECC and caries-free children differ depending on the frequency between-meal sugar consumption for 3 days, based on survey responses. The proportion of children developing ECC increases with elevated frequency of between-meal sugar consumption (p = 0.03; chi-square test). ECC, early childhood caries.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Frequencies of between-meal sugar consumption and plaque acidogenicity levels. The proportions of children with high and low levels of plaque acidogenicity differ depending on the frequency of between-meal sugar consumption for 3 days, based on survey responses. There is a significant increase in high plaque acidogenicity in children consuming sugar more frequently, with an opposite trend occurring in children with low acidogenicity (p = 0.04; chi-square test).
Figure 3
Figure 3
Frequencies of mealtime and between-meal beverages and caries status. The mean frequency of each beverage at mealtimes and between–meal beverages is shown. Children with ECC drink juices between meals significantly more frequently than caries-free children (p = 0.02; Welch’s t-test). ECC, early childhood caries.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Frequencies of mealtime and between-meal beverages and plaque acidogenicity levels. The mean frequency of each beverage at mealtimes and between meals is shown. The children with high plaque acidogenicity drink juices significantly more frequently between meals than those with low acidogenicity (p = 0.02; Welch’s t-test).
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Grants and funding

This work was supported by the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, JSPS KAKENHI Grant Numbers 15K00817 and 18K02250.
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