Tooth Decay Diet

It has been noted for over 50 years that the incidence of tooth decay is low in people of traditional rural societies, such as Eskimos and African Bantus. However, the incidence of cavities increases as their diets begin to include more “westernized” processed foods. Although many different factors have been implicated in this observation, including refined flours, inactivation of vitamins by heating foods, and sugar intake, no single agent has been found responsible. Nevertheless, a diet high in whole grains and low in processed foods is a healthful choice that probably helps defend against tooth decay.

Sugar, especially sucrose (table sugar), appears to be required by the oral bacteria for the production of tooth decay. This finding has caused sugar to be widely blamed in the popular press as the primary cause of dental caries. However, caries incidence has recently declined in a time of increasing sugar intake. This has led to a reevaluation of caries causation, and sugar is now understood to be only one of the factors in the development of tooth decay. Nearly as important as the total amount of sugar intake seems to be the consistency of the sugary foods and the length of time they are in contact with the teeth. Dry and sticky foods tend to stay in contact longer, causing more plaque formation. Still, reduction of total dietary sugar is probably the most accepted dietary recommendation for the prevention of dental caries...