Contemporary fluid intake and dental caries in Australian children

Abstract

In Australia, caries experience of 6-year-old and 12-year-old children has increased since the mid to late 1990s. Previously, caries rates had declined, attributable to community water fluoridation. The recent caries increase has been attributed speculatively to changes in fluid intake, including increased consumption of sweet drinks and bottled waters. Increasing urbanization and globalization have altered children's diets worldwide, promoting availability and access to processed foods and sweet drinks. Studies in Australia and internationally have demonstrated significant associations between sweet drink intake and caries experience. Despite widespread fluoride availability in contemporary Australian society, the relationship between sugar consumption and caries development continues and restricting sugar intake remains key to caries prevention. Caries risk assessment should be included in treatment planning for all children; parents should be advised of their child's risk level and given information on oral health promotion. Readily-implemented caries risk assessment tools applicable to parents and clinicians are now available. Public health information should increase awareness that consuming sweet drinks can have deleterious effects on the dentition as well as the potential for promoting systemic disease. Restricting sales of sweet drinks and sweet foods and providing healthy food and drinks for purchase in schools is paramount.

Administration of <b><i>Bifidobacterium</i></b><b><i>animalis</i></b> subsp. <b><i>lactis</i></b> BB-12 in Early Childhood: A Post-Trial Effect on Caries Occurrence at Four Years of Age

“…According to a survey of the National Public Health Institute of Finland, the intake of sucrose among 1-to 6-year-old children is higher than suggested, and the main sucrose source is sweet drinks [National Public Health Institute, 2008]. A recent Australian study was in line with these results, stating that increased intake of sweetened drinks with added sucrose is a great matter of concern to the health profession worldwide [Lee and Brearley Messer, 2011].…”

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

“…Though in many industrialised countries the annual sucrose consumption has decreased during the past decades [e.g., Statistics Finland, 2012], the consumption of sweets and soft drinks has increased for example in Finland, Sweden and Australia [Nordblad et al, 2004;Enghardt Barbieri et al, 2006;Lee and Brearley-Messer, 2011]. Despite the improved level of dental health in general population, contemporary diet rich in sucrose creates a major dental health risk at any age but especially in early childhood [Stecksén-Blicks et al, 2007;Llena and Forner, 2008;Lee and Brearley Messer, 2011].…”

“…Despite the improved level of dental health in general population, contemporary diet rich in sucrose creates a major dental health risk at any age but especially in early childhood [Stecksén-Blicks et al, 2007;Llena and Forner, 2008;Lee and Brearley Messer, 2011]. According to the Nordic Nutrition Recommendations [2013], and the National Nutrition Council of Finland the population goal for intake of free sugars is <10 E% in children aged 6 months or older [National Nutrition Council, 2014], and SI frequency should not exceed four times a day [WHO 2003].…”

The potential acidogenicity of liquid breakfasts

“…One possible explanation is the increased consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages [11][12][13]. An example of such a beverage is the increasingly popular category of liquid breakfasts.…”