[1] Hujoel PP, Lingstrom P., “Nutrition, dental caries and periodontal disease: a narrative review”, J Clin Periodontol (2017); 44 (Suppl. 18): S79–S84. doi: 10.1111/jcpe.12672. [2] Feldens C.A., Kramer P.F., Vargas-Ferreira F., “The role of diet and oral hygiene in dental caries”, Pediatric Restorative Dentistry (2019), https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-93426-6_4. [3] https://www.corriere.it/dataroom-milena-gabanelli/ zucchero-dose-giornaliera-non-superare-tumore-cancro-dietasovrappeso-alimentazione/60d3338e-70b9-11e8-8f08e72858c58491-va.shtml. [4] https://www.ilfattoquotidiano.it/2019/04/09/obesita-quasiun-italiano-adulto-su-due-e-in-sovrappeso-problema-piudiffuso-al-sud-e-tra-i-non-laureati/5097375/. [5] https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Produzione_dello_zucchero.
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which is very sensitive to it: teeth. This is strongly correlated to the fact that sugar is the favorite growth substrate of a group of oral microorganisms, mainly bacteria, which, during their activities, release acids such as lactate and acetate which dissolve hydroxyapatite crystals, that make up the dental enamel, weakening it. Thus, special attention must be payed to acid foods such as fruit juices and soft drinks which have, as well as high sugar content, citric and phosphoric acids as preservatives. In any case, caries formation is not exclusively associated to added sugars consumption, but the same goes for any fermentable carbohydrates like starch, lactose, fructose, maltose etc. However, this doesn’t mean that carbs consumption brings to caries development; genetic predisposition, nutrition (during the whole life), saliva pH and oral hygiene probably represent the factors that mostly determinate the onset of this multifactorial pathology. Whilst it’s not possible to control saliva pH or personal gene pool, on the other hand we can manage our own oral hygiene and nutrition, right? Yes, in theory. In practice though it’s not so simple. Everyone has their own food preferences, foods and drinks they don’t want to give up, linked to traditions, culture or, in worse cases, to psychological addictions. This will inevitably affect teeth life and health but, if a balanced diet is observed and if some precautions are taken (for example brushing teeth after the consumption of acid foods) cariogenic bacteria activity will be hindered and, consequently, the enamel can protect the teeth for as long as possible. All this might seem obvious, but it’s clear that all the care and attention we give to that thin layer of fragile mineral are the most powerful weapons we possess against bacteria that we can’t defeat, but only slow down.
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