Sugar consumption and dental caries experience in Kenya

Abstract

Introduction: There have been claims that dental caries experience and prevalence in Kenya has been increasing as a result of increased sugar consumption. A review of the literature in 1986 failed to link dental caries experience with an increase in gross national sugar consumption. Subsequently, a number of studies were conducted, necessitating further review to examine trends in dental caries experience and to relate this to changes in per capita sugar consumption. Methods: Studies conducted since 1980 for children 3-15 years of age were examined. Dental caries prevalence and experience for 3-5 years' (deciduous teeth) and 12 years' (permanent teeth) age groups were analysed. Calculation of per capita sugar consumption was performed using gross national annual sugar consumption for 1969-2009 national population census years. Results: There was a gradual increase in per capita sugar consumption, from 35.5 g/day in 1969 to 60.8 g/day in 2009. Dental caries experience in deciduous teeth for children 3-5 years of age increased from a decayed, missing and filled teeth/decayed and filled teeth (dmft/dft) index of 1.5 in the 1980s to 2.95 in the 2000s. At 12 years of age, caries experience for permanent teeth increased from a DMFT of 0.2 to a DMFT of 0.92 over the same period. Dental caries prevalence for both deciduous and permanent teeth also increased with time. Conclusion: These observations suggest that dental caries prevalence and experience increased with time, in parallel to an increase in per capita sugar consumption. However, a clearer understanding can be derived from longitudinal studies, based on actual household age-specific sugar consumption and dental caries incidence.

Dental fluorosis and oral health in the African Esophageal Cancer Corridor: Findings from the Kenya ESCCAPE case–control study and a pan‐African perspective

“…The magnitude of increased ESCC risk were of the order of 1.2‐fold for oral leukoplakia, 1.5‐ to 2.5‐fold for extremes of missing teeth, and 2‐ to 3‐fold of lack or regular oral hygiene. Public oral health status in Kenya is of good teeth retention to old age and a low though increasing prevalence of dental caries . However, oral hygiene is poor, the Arak tree stick ( mswaki) is used instead of a commercial tooth brush, and both periodontitis and oral cancer's precursor oral leukoplakia (17% prevalence) are common …”

“…Public oral health status in Kenya is of good teeth retention to old age and a low though increasing prevalence of dental caries. 13,14 However, oral hygiene is poor, the Arak tree stick (mswaki) is used instead of a commercial tooth brush, and both periodontitis and oral cancer's precursor oral leukoplakia (17% prevalence) are common. [15][16][17] In the present study, we investigated the aforementioned oral health indicators with risk of ESCC in Kenya.…”

Age period cohort analysis of chewing ability in Korea from 2007 to 2018

“…The same nutrition transition has been linked to a shift in disease patterns, away from infectious diseases toward chronic diseases such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and cancer 34 . High caries is associated with the availability of sugar and this often happens when a country is undergoing rapid economic transition 34 , 37 , 38 . For example, in Kenya, the prevalence of dental caries was low (comparable to Ethiopia and Senegal) when the mean daily per capita supply of sugar was 50 g or less 37 .…”

Risk indicators of dental caries and gingivitis among 10−11-year-old students in Yangon, Myanmar

“…It has been reported across many countries that the oral health‐related behaviours and habits of children are strongly influenced by the socioeconomic status of their parents . The parents’ (especially the mothers’) level of education or knowledge has a great impact on the child’s oral health .…”