Caries and Diet Flashcards
Which type of caries is most associated with dietary factors?
Smooth surface caries
What is the most important interaction in the caries process?
Bacteria-substrate interaction
T/F - Nutritional status is strongly correlated with caries rates
False
T/F - Pre-industrialized societies have low caries rates, and they are primarily confined to root surfaces and fissures
True
What happens as refined foods are adopted?
Caries rates climb
According to the WHO, how much sugar should be consumed a day?
It should be no more than 10% of total calories consumed (~50 g or 12 teaspoons a day)
Where are most of the sugars we consumed?
Hidden in processed foods
Examples: 40 g in soda or 4 g in ketchup
How and why were caries rates effected during wartime England?
Dropped during the war (sugar was rationed)
Jumped back up after
What did the Vipeholm study tell us about sugar intake around mealtime, and its effect on caries?
The more sugar, the more cariogenic
Sugar consumed between meals caused more caries than sugar consumed at mealtime
The stickier the sugary foods, the worse the caries rates
What did the Hopewood study tell us about caries rates in institutionalized children?
Children that were institutionalized had lower caries rates than children that went to state schools due to strict dietary restrictions of natural vegetarian diets that were low in refined carbs
Their caries rates spiked to school-level children once they left the communal homes
How does sweet preference change with sugar exposure?
The more sugar children eat, the more they have a preference for it
Higher threshold for sweetness is correlated with greater sugar consumption and caries
Lower sensitivity to sweetness is correlated with lower caries rates
What is the leading source of added sugars in young American’s diets?
Soft drinks
75% of teenage boys drink 3 cans a day, 2/3 of teenage girls drink 2 cans a day
At what age is the most rapid increase in consumption of carbonated drinks?
8
There is increased caries association with what types of drinks?
Sugared soda
Powdered beverages
100% juice (to a lesser extent)
How much juice should children be limited to a day?
4-6 oz
How much dairy should children get per day?
2 or more servings of dairy
Are sweeteners cariogenic?
No
What effect does xylitol gum have on caries rates.
It lowers caries rates - but it likely has less to do with what is in the gum, as much as it has to do with simply stimulating salivary flow
Aspartame
Found in Equal and Nutrasweet
Dipeptide of phenylalanine and aspartic acid
Approximately 200x sweeter than sugar
Clean, sweet taste
Digested in such small amounts that it can be considered calorie-free
Not heat stable, so it can’t be used in cooking
Saccharin
The original non-calorie sweetener - Sweet N Low
Some bitter after taste
Not metabolized, so it’s non-caloric and non-cariogenic
Used in a wide variety of items, including toothpaste
Temperature stable
Causes bladder cancer in rodents, but seemingly safe to humans
Acesulfame-K
Sunette or SweetOne
High-intensity, non-caloric sweetener approximately 200x sweeter than sucrose
Clean, sweet taste with no aftertaste
Not metabolized and is excreted unchanged
Temperature stable
Stevia
Extract of the leaves of the stevia plant Steviol glycoside 200x sweeter than sugar Heat stable Packaged with bulking agents Non-cariogenic and non-caloric
Addition of water does what to caries rates?
Lowers them
How does starch compare to sugar?
Starch is retained longer and produces more acid over time than sugar
How does cooked starch compare to uncooked starch?
Cooked starch is more soluble and may be retained longer than unprocessed starch
What foodstuffs can inhibit caries?
Xylitol (maybe) Calcium Phosphates Fat Casein phosphopeptide Sodium bicarbonate Carbamide
How do phosphates inhibit caries?
Buffer
Crystal stabilization - reducing solubility by protecting Ca
How does sodium bicarbonate and carbamide inhibit caries?
Raise pH
How do natural sugars in fruits and vegatbles effect caries?
No scientific evidence showing that they’re harmful
