Topley and Wilson's Principles of bacteriology and immunity

Abstract

Holloway: Sugar and dental caries 207 REFERENCES Coykendall A. L. (1977) Proposal to elevate the subspecies of Streptococcus mufans to species status, based on their molecular composition. Inc. J. Sysr. Bact. 27, 26. Drucker D. B. and Green R. M. (1978) The relative cariogenicities of Streptococcus milleri and other viridans group streptococci in gnotobiotic hooded rats. Arch. Oral Biol. 28, 183. Drucker D. B. and Green R. M. (1981) The relative cariogenicity of different streptococci in the gnotobiotic WAGIRIJ rat. ABSTRACT Confectionery provides 5 per cent of the calories or only 13.2 per cent of the sucrose in the average diet. Dental caries is associated with fermentable carbohydrate which includes starch as well as sugars. Although frequency of intake seems important in experimental animal caries, this is diffkult to establish in humans. Confectionery cannot be established as a major cause of dental caries. The CCCA is sponsoring independent research in an effort to clarify the role of diet in the aetiology of dental caries. THE ROLE OF CONFECTIONERY IN THE UK DIET It is estimated that people in the UK consume about 500 kg of food a year. Confectionery, i.e. chocolate and sweets, amount to 11.8 kg a year (or 224 g per week) i.e. just under 2% per cent of the total food intake. It provides 5 per cent of the calories in the diet. The percentage of food ingredients consumed via chocolate and sugar confectionery is as follows: Cocoa beans 86.5 Glucose syrup 30-o Nuts 20.5 Vegetable fats 17.2 Sugar 13.2 Milk 4.9 According to Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food estimates, the whole diet provides an average 30 kg protein, 47 kg fat and 138 kg carbohydrate per person per year. Of these amounts, confectionery products contribute 1.5 per cent of protein, 3.8 per cent of the fat and 6.9 per cent of the carbohydrate in the whole diet. Confectionery contains 13.2 per cent of the 40 kg of sucrose in the averge diet. Nearly six-sevenths of the sucrose eaten is consumed in other foods. CONFECTIONERY AND DENTAL HEALTH Dental caries is a multifactorial disease. The main factors involved are: the fermentable carbohydrate components of the diet; a tooth which is susceptible to caries attack; bacteria in the form of plaque; and the duration of the tooth's exposure to caries attack.