Nutritional Factors Associated with Dental Caries across the Lifespan: A Review

Abstract

Nutrition and dietetic care span various life stages, addressing nutritional needs and exploring factors that shape dietary habits. Globally, an alarming disproportion in food resource distribution, coupled with substandard nutritional intake, underscores profound implications for oral health. This is evident in the facilitation of dental caries development and its repercussions on oral soft tissue integrity. While modern markets offer advanced edible products, their effects on oral health, especially in relation to dental caries, remain uncharted. This narrative literature review pursues a four-fold objective: (a) scrutinizing the repercussions of inadequate nutrition on dental caries, (b) exploring psychological determinants influencing dietary habits contributing to caries development, (c) investigating potential implications of newly devised food products on caries formation, and (d) elucidating the role of dentists as facilitators in promoting oral health practices. A comprehensive search spanning PubMed, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library yielded 46 cohort, cross-sectional research articles and systematic reviews adhering to standardized diagnostic criteria for dental caries evaluation. The results highlight contemporary lifestyles as potent contributors to heightened risk of caries due to suboptimal nutritional quality and nutrient insufficiency. Additionally, concerns have arisen with the advent of synthetically engineered food products, warranting exploration of potential implications for future caries development and global oral health status. This review emphasizes the pivotal role of dietitians–nutritionists and dental professionals in advocating sound nutritional practices specifically geared towards preventing dental caries. Ultimately, this review contributes to the understanding of the intricate interplay between nutrition, oral health, and the imperative role of healthcare professionals in fostering preventive measures.

Ethics in the Food Ecosystem from Research to Consumption in Conjunction with Oral Health Significance for Sustainability and Spirituality Purposes—Mouth: The Sacred Gateway

“…This connection extends beyond dental hygiene practices to encompass broader lifestyle factors, including dietary habits. Poor dietary choices, such as high sugar intake and low nutrient consumption, can contribute to the development and progression of periodontal disease and dental caries reported by Dimopoulou et al [250]. Sugary foods and beverages promote the growth of harmful bacteria in the mouth, leading to plaque formation and gum inflammation as reported by Αntoniadou and, Varzakas [135] and Pang et al [251].…”

“…Sugars-sweetened beverages, such as fruit-based and milk-based drinks, along with 100% fruit juices, confectionery, cakes, biscuits, sweetened cereals, desserts, sucrose, honey, syrups, and preserves, serve as primary sources of free sugars in many countries, putting the base for the expansion of the disease (Feldens et al 2022; ) [256]. To control the risk of dental caries across all stages of life, it is recommended to limit free sugars intake to less than 10% of total energy intake (Dimopoulou et al 2023) [250]. Ideally, reducing this intake further to less than 5% offers additional protection against dental caries (WHO 2017) [262].…”

“…If healthcare professionals emphasize the importance of dietary choices in maintaining oral hygiene and overall health, individuals can take proactive steps to safeguard against systemic conditions linked to poor oral health, such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and cancer (Dimopoulou et al 2023) [250]. This is the first step to a wide interdisciplinary approach on controlling through oral diseases other systematic ones that are reducing sustainability of the human ecosystem (de Abreu et al 2021; Lee et al 2021;Giordano-et al 2022) [244,246,263].…”

Association between dental caries and adherence to the Mediterranean diet, dietary intake, and body mass index in children

“…A “Meal and Food Photo Catalog” was used to determine the sizes and amounts of the food and beverages consumed [ 31 ]. The energy and nutrient intakes (protein, fat, carbonhydrate, glucose, fructose, galactose, sucrose, fiber, calcium, floridine, iodine) [ 32 , 33 ] of children were evaluated using the Nutrition Information System (BeBiS) program (version 8) [ 34 ]. The children’s adherence to the MD was assessed using the Mediterranean Diet Quality Index for children and adolescents (KIDMED).…”

Sports Diet and Oral Health in Athletes: A Comprehensive Review

“…Increased intake, frequent consumption moments with dental exposure to carbohydrate-rich foods, free sugars, sports nutrition products, and acidic and carbohydrate-containing sports drinks increase the risk of dental erosion, dental caries, and inflammatory periodontal disease, especially in cases of dehydration and poor oral hygiene [8]. A contemporary lifestyle with suboptimal nutritional quantity and quality contribute to an increased risk of tooth decay, meanwhile synthetically produced foods are of particular concern [9]. Untreated caries and deep cavities can trigger a disseminated infection, affecting the well-being and performance of athletes [10,11].…”