title: High sucrose intake at 3 years of age is associated with increased salivary counts of mutans streptococci and lactobacilli, and with increased caries rate from 3 to 16 years of age.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We aimed to study the long-term associations between sucrose intake (SI), selected representatives of the cariogenic oral flora, and the dental health of children from 3 to 16 years of age.
  
  
  METHODS
  At 7 months of age 1,062 infants (540 intervention; 522 controls) were included in the prospective, randomised STRIP-project aimed at restricting the child's saturated fat and cholesterol intake to prevent atherosclerosis when they become adults. At 3 years of age, every fifth child was invited (n = 178) to an oral sub-study, and 148 (78 boys) children attended. A restudy was conducted on 135 children aged 6, 127 aged 9, 114 aged 12 and 88 aged 16. SI using 4-day food records, plate-cultured mutans streptococci (MS), salivary lactobacilli (LB) and yeasts using commercial kits (Orion Diagnostica, Espoo Finland), toothbrushing frequency using fluoridated toothpaste and dental health expressed as d 3 mft/D 3 MFT were regularly recorded.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The SI of children whose intake was ≥ 10 E% (high SI) at 3 years remained high throughout the entire follow-up (p < 0.001, GLM for repeated measures) period, and they had higher salivary MS and LB counts (p = 0.024 and p = 0.068, respectively, GLM) than their counterparts whose SI was below 10 E% (low SI). No differences in toothbrushing habits were found between the high and low SI-groups. Caries-survival was strongly associated with low 6-year-counts of MS (p = 0.008, Cox regression analysis), and the d 3 mft/D 3 MFTscores of the high SI-group were higher than those of the low SI-group (p = 0.046, GLM).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  High SI at 3 years was associated with high MS-counts ( ≥ 10 5 cfu/ml) and with a high risk for caries.
authors.forename: Sára
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Karjalainen
authors.forename: Mimmi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tolvanen
authors.forename: Kaisu
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Pienihäkkinen
authors.forename: Eva
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Söderling
authors.forename: Hanna
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Lagström
authors.forename: Olli
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Simell
authors.forename: Harri
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Niinikoski
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000367:Age Factors; D058491:Bacterial Load; D002327:Cariostatic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004245:DMF Index; D003731:Dental Caries / Q000382:microbiology; D019422:Dietary Sucrose / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005260:Female; D005459:Fluorides / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007778:Lactobacillus / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008499:Medical Records; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D012463:Saliva / Q000382:microbiology*; D016037:Single-Blind Method; D013295:Streptococcus mutans / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D014099:Toothbrushing / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D014100:Toothpastes / Q000627:therapeutic use; D015003:Yeasts / Q000302:isolation & purification
chemical_list: D002327:Cariostatic Agents; D019422:Dietary Sucrose; D014100:Toothpastes; D005459:Fluorides