Sugar consumption and dental caries.

Abstract

Dental disease, and particularly caries, is a debilitating condition in children, and the causes of this disease need to be addressed. One of the most well documented contributory causes of dental caries is diet, in particular Non-Extrinsic Milk Sugars (NMES). This study considers the relationship between these NMES and dental caries prevalence in children 12 years of age. The thesis first gives an introduction to the topic at hand and then goes on to a review of published literature surrounding various topics dealt with. These include an explanation of dietary sugars, how caries are formed and what influences their formation, current situations and trends in dental caries prevalence, and finally takes a look at the situation in Malta. The dietary intake of NMES was assessed in twenty 12 year old children and this was statistically compared with their respective Decayed Missing and Filled Teeth (DMFT) Index and trends were drawn from this. The penultimate chapter includes an overview of the investigation and conclusions from results obtained, the main one being that there appears to be a significant relationship between the NMES intake and the DMFT Index of the individual. Finally the last chapter tackles recommendations derived in the natural course of this study.