A study of the effect of dietary habits and refined carbohydrate intake on the dental caries experience in 200 children

Abstract

Previous studies have suggested a positive relationship between the amount of readily fermentable carbohydrate and the dental caries experience. The frequency of eating and the amount of carbohydrate consumed between meals have also been considered in previous studies but the results have been controversial and contradictory. From 7 day diet records of 200 children the frequency of eating was determined, and the total sugar intake and the between meal sugar was calculated as to its carbohydrate equivalent of teaspoons of sugar. The dental caries experience of these children was determined from the clinical examination records and periapical and bite wing radiographs and recorded as DMFS. The average total sugar intake of these children was 164 teaspoons while the average between meal sugar was 55 teaspoons. A correlation between the total sugar consumed and the DMFS showed that the relationship was not statistically significant. The total between meal sugar intake showed the highest correlation with the DMFS. The frequency of between meal eating did not show a statistically significant effect on the dental caries experience. A slight negative relationship was obtained between the total sugar intake and the milk intake, indicating that as the milk intake tends to increase, the sugar tends to decrease and vice versa. A multiple correlation between DMFS and the total sugar and total milk intake showed a negative correlation coefficient. The children residing in the city had a higher DMFS than the rural children of comparable ages.