Investigative Analysis

Sweetened Soft-Drinks Take Their Toll on Dental Health

November 2003

Young children need to drink less soda and more milk! That's the message from researchers involved in the Iowa Fluoride Study, as reported in the September edition of Pediatrics. The study examined the association between the food and beverage intakes of 642 children during their first five years and the incidence of dental caries (tooth decay) discovered during dental examinations conducted at ages four to seven.

Dental caries is a common, chronic disease of childhood, and researchers wanted to determine what impact changes in beverage consumption patterns, specifically decreased milk intakes and increased intakes of soda pop and juice, were having on caries prevalence. Food and beverage intakes were categorized as none, low, and high. Nutrient intakes were also assessed, calculated as the ratio of nutrient intake to the Recommended Dietary Allowance. Caries experience was assessed at both tooth and surface levels in visual examinations conducted by two trained dentists, with questionable findings confirmed by a dental explorer. The study results suggest that contemporary changes in beverage patterns, particularly the increase in soda pop consumption, have the potential to increase dental caries rates in children.

In general, inadequate intakes of riboflavin, copper, vitamin B-12 and vitamin D were associated with increased caries experience, while exposure to fluoride was found to a have a protective effect. Subjects with caries had lower median intakes of milk at two and three years of age than subjects without caries. High intakes of sugar-sweetened beverages from powdered drink mixes were associated with significantly increased incidence of caries compared to subjects with low intakes. Low intakes of 100% juice were associated with reduced caries incidence, compared to intakes classified as none or high, which were associated with increased caries experience. High intakes of regular soda pop were associated with a significant increase in tooth surfaces with caries experience.

The findings of this study were, for the most part, consistent with the conventional wisdom: high intakes of soda-pop and other sugar-sweetened beverages contribute to tooth decay. In general, the study data support contemporary dietary guidelines for children: consume two or more servings of dairy foods daily, limit juice intake to four to six ounces daily, and limit sugared beverages to occasional use.

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