The Effects of Sugars Intake and Frequency of Ingestion on Dental Caries Increment in a Three-year Longitudinal Study

Abstract

A three-year longitudinal study was carried out with a group of children, initially aged 11-15, residing in non-fluoridated rural communities in south-central Michigan. This report analyzes the relation between caries increment and consumption of sugars from all sources to see if accepted relationships have changed with the caries decline in the United States. There were 499 children who provided three or more 24-hour dietary recall interviews, and who received dental examinations at baseline and after three years. Caries increment averaged 2.91 DMFS over the three years, with 81% of new lesions on pit-and-fissure surfaces. Consumption of sugars from all sources averaged 156 g per day for males and 127 g per day for females, an average of 52 kg per person per year. Sugars constituted one-quarter of total caloric intake for both boys and girls, and the average number of eating occasions per day was 4.3. Children who consumed a higher proportion of their total energy intake as sugars had a higher increment of approximal caries, though there was little relation to pit-and-fissure caries. The average number of daily eating occasions was not related to caries increment, nor was the average number of sugary snacks (defined as foods with 15% or more of sugars) consumed between meals, but the average consumption of between-meal sugars was related to the approximal caries increment. When children were categorized by high caries increment compared with no caries increment, a tendency toward more frequent snacks was seen in the high-caries children.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

The importance of sugar as predisposing factor for tooth decay

“…The type of sugar entering is very important, except frequency of input as Burt highlights, and the results are in line with our received results in the incidence of tooth decay [7] .…”

“…The prevalence of caries was globally accepted that was associated with the type of food (sticky and sweet food, chips, cookies, crackers, small chocolate cakes and sweets), the frequency of input of the same and how long the teeth are exposed to the cariogenic food [6,7,8,10,13] .…”

“…If cariogenic food lasts longer in the mouth the demineralization stops and remineralization will not begin until carbs are not eliminated from the mouth. High frequency of carbohydrate intake during the demineralization increases and the duration of remineralization is reduced thus conditions for occurrence of tooth decay are created [1,4,6,7,8,9] . Both children and parents should be advised to reduce the amount and frequency of intake of sweetened foods (sweets, juices,diferent pastries).…”

A survey of sports drinks consumption among adolescents

“…The frequency and duration of sports drinks consumption are also important factors impacting on dental health 15 . The general consensus is that the frequency and amount of sugary food and drinks should be reduced and, when consumed, limited to mealtimes 16 .…”

Relationship between Sugar Intake and Obesity among School-Age Children in Kaohsiung, Taiwan

“…There are many reports that the excessive intake of sugar increases the risk of lifestyle-related disease, such as obesity and type 2 diabetes (2,3). The intake of sugar has also been found to have some connection with dental caries (4)(5)(6).…”