Food and dental caries

Food and dental caries

Previously, sugar was considered an exceptional and food was reserved for sick or consumed during the holidays. He became a food eaten every day since the development of industrial production of sugar, there a century. For years, dental caries affected only adults, and has begun to reach children with the development of the sugar industry.



Today is a disease that mainly affects children, adolescents and young adults, its frequency decreases after 40 years. It is a public health problem that has cost very important. In France, at the age of 6 years, two thirds of children have at least one tooth decay.

Sugar and tooth decay are bedfellows
The cavity is a phenomenon of demineralization of hard tissue of the tooth (enamel, dentin, cementum), caused by the acidic conditions created by sugars made by food and bacteria of dental plaque. The sugar consumption is a critical element in the formation of cavities. Sugar the most cariogenic "are fast sugars, including sucrose, the main component of sugar cane and beet. This is the most widely used in confectionery. Then glucose (from industrial corn, used in pastry), fructose (fruit sugar), lactose (milk sugar) and starch (sugar slow grains and starchy), which is much less cariogenic.

An innate attraction to sweet taste
The taste for sugar is innate from birth and the newborn preferred sugared water to pure water. He prefers sugars "strong", sucrose and fructose, the sugar "low". This predominance for sugar will gradually decrease with the acquisition of new tastes bitter is the longest to be accepted.

For a long time sugar remains for the child to share food. It has a calming effect and is the surest way to calm. Causing secretion of endorphins, it would entail a certain dependence, demonstrated by weaning difficult bottle sweet evening ...

Caries hereditary?
The sugar water and other sugary beverages (soft drinks, fruit juices) data to the baby bottle to feed or calm are directly responsible for "the bottle caries." These multiple cavities upper teeth, caused by prolonged contact of sweet liquid on the teeth are typical of young children.

Among adolescents there are "cavities foudroyantes" because young permanent teeth are less mineralized and allow the rapid development of caries, which is at a very advanced stage.

Heredity genetic decay is not proven, the incidence of caries in some families is more due to transmission of eating behaviors, with a high intake of sweets in childhood.

The sugar in children a high emotional and symbolic value: it rewards or depriving children of candy ... it is therefore difficult to remove the sugar but can be limited and in particular to train the taste with other flavors.