Diet and root surface caries in a cohort of older Japanese

Abstract

Objectives Root surface caries experience tends to increase with age. The purpose of this longitudinal study was to evaluate the relationship between aspects of dietary intake, including milk and sucrose in coffee or tea (SCT), and root surface caries in older Japanese individuals. Methods 303 community‐dwelling older individuals (age 75 years) were enrolled for analysis. All participants underwent a dental examination at baseline and then annually from 2003 to 2008 (ie six times over a 5‐year period). A disease event was considered to have occurred when root surface caries was detected on a previously sound or nonexposed root surface. Over the observation period, disease events in each year were counted. Dietary habits during the preceding month were evaluated using a brief self‐administered diet history questionnaire (BDHQ) in 2003 and 2008. Poisson regression analysis performed crude and adjusted increment‐rate ratios (IRRs) for root surface caries and the intake of milk and SCT. Results The adjusted increment‐rate ratio (IRR) of the increment of root surface caries for participants in the highest SCT tertile was 1.72 (95%CI: 1.40‐2.14) compared with the referent group. In addition, for the amount of milk intake, the adjusted IRR in the highest tertile was 0.63 (95% CI: 0.51‐0.78) compared with the referent group. Conclusions Much SCT and low milk intake were associated with the increment of root surface caries in community‐dwelling older people in Japan. These findings suggest that to help prevent root surface caries, community‐dwelling older people in Japan should consume adequate amounts of milk daily and limit their intake of SCT.

Risk factors for root caries annual incidence and progression among older people requiring nursing care: A one-year prospective cohort study

“…Decreased immune function in older people may lead to a reduced capability to suppress the cariogenic activity of oral flora and, consequently, rapid tooth destruction. Dietary factors such as sucrose [9] and milk [6] intake have also been associated with root caries incidence. However, because some of our subjects were living in their OHs, complete information regarding their diet could not be collected.…”

“…Local (intraoral) risk factors for root caries incidence include the presence of two or more full-coverage restorations [5], poor oral hygiene [5,7], high amounts (>10 5 CFU/mL) of salivary lactobacilli [5], and mean attachment loss > 3.6 mm [5]. Systemic risk factors for root caries include serum albumin levels < 4.0 g/dL [8], low milk and dairy product intake [6], high sucrose intake [9], and low body mass index (BMI) [5].…”

Diet, Nutrition, and Oral Health in Older Adults: A Review of the Literature

“…Older adults experience a decline in taste perception of salty, sweet, and umami with age and tend to choose stronger flavours, with a greater consumption of sweet and salty foods [ 25 ], which may increase sugar intake. A study showed that intake of sucrose in coffee or tea was associated with the increment of root surface caries in community-dwelling older Japanese adults [ 26 ].…”

Impacts of Tooth Loss on OHRQoL in an Adult Population in Cape Town, South Africa

“…Tooth loss has been studied for decades and there are many different causes attributed to it, such as dental decay, periodontal disease, and trauma [ 1 ]. Dental caries and periodontal disease are known to be related to social and behavioural factors [ 1 ] and diet [ 2 ]. The lack of access to dental care [ 3 ], tobacco use [ 1 ], and poor oral health knowledge and oral hygiene practices [ 4 ] also play a crucial role in the progression of these oral conditions.…”