title: Dental Caries Level and Sugar Consumption in 12-Year-Old Children from Poland.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The frequent and high consumption of sugar products, particularly sucrose, is one of the causative factors of dental caries. Meta-analyses assessing the relationship between sugar intake and dental caries revealed that a restricted sugar intake to less than 10% of the daily energy intake results in substantial health benefits. Sugar consumption in Poland is 2-fold higher than recommended by the WHO. As change in dietary habits is slow, knowledge of whether a gradual reduction of sugar consumption influences beneficially the dental condition is important.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  Assessment of the relationship between caries experience and sugar consumption in 12-year-old children.
  
  
  METHODS
  The data obtained from the Statistical Agricultural Yearbooks of the Central Statistical Office in Poland regarding the average yearly sugar intake by a person in the years 1995-2013, and caries prevalence (frequency and DMFT) resulting from the national epidemiological studies of the 12-year-old children conducted by the Ministry of Health in those years were analyzed. The data was analyzed by linear regression. Regression function parameters and coefficients of determination were assessed for a possible link between sugar consumption and dental caries frequency and severity was expressed as DMFT value.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean yearly sugar intake by a statistical Pole ranged from 43.6 kg (2002) to 35.3 kg (2006). Despite a slight trend to lower the sugar consumption, its mean intake in 1995 and 2013 was the same (41.9 kg). Caries frequency and DMFT decreased in 2012 compared to 1995 from 90.5% to 79.6% and from 4.3 to 3.53 kg in 2012, respectively. The increased sugar intake by 1 kg/year caused the increase of caries frequency by 1% and DMFT value by 0.2.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Even a relatively low decrease in sugar consumption can exert some beneficial influence on the dental condition in adolescents, particularly upon the severity of caries.
authors.affiliation: Department of Paediatric Dentistry, Medical University of Warsaw, Poland.
authors.forename: Dorota
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Olczak-Kowalczyk
authors.affiliation: Department of Paediatric Dentistry, Medical University of Warsaw, Poland.
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Turska
authors.affiliation: Department of Experimental Statistics and Bioinformatics, Warsaw University of Life Sciences, Poland.
authors.forename: Dariusz
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Gozdowski
authors.affiliation: Department of Conservative Dentistry and Pedodontics, Wroclaw Medical University, Poland.
authors.forename: Urszula
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Kaczmarek
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D003731:Dental Caries / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology; D019422:Dietary Sucrose / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016014:Linear Models; D008297:Male; D009313:National Health Programs / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011044:Poland / Q000453:epidemiology; D015995:Prevalence; D018570:Risk Assessment / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012307:Risk Factors; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013549:Sweetening Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects
chemical_list: D019422:Dietary Sucrose; D013549:Sweetening Agents
keywords: children; dental caries; sugar consumption; tracheotomy in children