Comparison of the intakes of sugars by young children with and without dental caries experience.
BACKGROUND
Relationships among sugars and dental caries in contemporary societies are unclear. The authors describe young children's intakes of nonmilk extrinsic (NME) and intrinsic/milk sugars and relate those intakes to dental caries.


METHODS
The authors conducted cross-sectional analyses of dietary data collected from the Iowa Fluoride Study using three-day diaries for subjects at ages 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 years and for subjects aged 1 through 5 years according to dental caries experience at 4.5 to 6.9 years of age. They categorized foods and beverages as containing NME or intrinsic/milk sugars.


RESULTS
Subjects' total, NME, food NME and intrinsic/milk sugars intakes at ages studied did not differ between subjects with and without caries experience. Beverage NME sugars intakes at age 3 years predicted caries (P < .05) in logistic regression models adjusted for age at dental examination and for fluoride intake.


CONCLUSIONS
Dental caries is a complex, multifactorial disease process dependent on the presence of oral bacteria, a fermentable carbohydrate substrate and host enamel. A simple NME-intrinsic/milk sugars categorization appears insufficient to capture the complex dietary component of the caries process.


CONCLUSIONS
Cariogenicity is more likely a function of the food and/or beverage vehicle delivering the sugar and the nature of exposure-that is, frequency and length of eating events-than of the sugar's categorization.
Marshall
Teresa A
TA
Department of Preventive and Community Dentistry, College of Dentistry, N-335, Dental Science Building, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa 52242-1010, USA. teresa-marshall@uiowa.edu
Eichenberger-Gilmore
Julie M
JM
Larson
Michelle A
MA
Warren
John J
JJ
Levy
Steven M
SM
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D001628:Beverages / Q000145:classification; D002327:Cariostatic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004245:DMF Index; D004040:Dietary Carbohydrates / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000145:classification; D019422:Dietary Sucrose / Q000008:administration & dosage; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005260:Female; D005459:Fluorides / Q000008:administration & dosage; D005502:Food / Q000145:classification; D005632:Fructose / Q000008:administration & dosage; D005947:Glucose / Q000008:administration & dosage; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007785:Lactose / Q000008:administration & dosage; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors
D002327:Cariostatic Agents; D004040:Dietary Carbohydrates; D019422:Dietary Sucrose; D005632:Fructose; D005947:Glucose; D007785:Lactose; D005459:Fluorides