Sweetened Beverages Linked to Increased Tooth Decay

A study conducted in Australia found that children who drink a high amount of sugar sweetened beverages had a very high rate of dental disease. In addition those children who lived in areas where the water was fluorinated had less dental disease than those in areas without.  These results confirmed the benefits of fluorinated water in community water. [1]

Some of the significant findings in the study included:

• 56% of Australian children ages 5 to 16 years consumed at least one sugared drink per day.
• 13% of children consumed three or more sugared drinks on average per day.
• Boys consume more sweet drinks than girls.
• Children from the lowest income families consumed almost 60% more sugared drinks.
• The number of decayed, missing, and filled deciduous (or baby) teeth was 46% higher among children who consumed three or more sweet drinks per day, compared with children who did not consume sweet drinks.[2]

“Consistent evidence has shown that the high acidity of many sweetened drinks, particularly soft drinks and sports drinks can be a factor in dental erosion, as well as the sugar itself contributing to tooth decay,” Armfield said.

“Our study also showed that greater exposure to fluoridated water significantly reduces the association between children`s sweet drink consumption and tooth decay. This reconfirms the benefits of community water fluoridation for oral health.

“Essentially, we need to ensure that children are exposed less to sweet drinks and have greater access to fluoridated water, which will result in significantly improved dental outcomes for children,” adds Armfield.