Dietary Intake and Meal Patterns Among Young Adults with High Caries Activity: a Cross-sectional Study

Overview

Journal BMC Oral Health

Publisher Biomed Central

Specialty Dentistry

Date 2022 May 19

PMID 35590301

Authors

Annie Guo

Ulla Wide

Louise Arvidsson

Gabriele Eiben

Magnus Hakeberg

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Background: Dental caries is a multifactorial disease that is highly dependent on diet, where a lower consumption and intake frequency of sugar would be favorable. The aims were (i) to examine dietary intake and meal patterns, more specifically sugar intake and foods high in sugar, among young adults with high caries activity, and (ii) to investigate the association between dietary and meal patterns consumption, and level of caries activity.

Methods: This study presents baseline data from an ongoing randomized controlled trial. A total of 50 young adults (aged 23.0 ± 3.0 years) with ≥ 2 decayed tooth surfaces were included. Dietary intake was captured with a 59-item food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) and a three-day food diary. Adherence to dietary guidelines was analyzed by comparing the dietary intake to the Nordic Nutritional Recommendations (NNR) 2012 and by using the Healthy Dietary Adherence score (HDAS). Participants were categorized into two groups: (i) the Caries group with 2-4 decayed surfaces, and (ii) the High caries group with ≥ 5 decayed surfaces.

Results: The High caries group reported a statistically significantly higher snack and total meal intake compared to the Caries group, as well as a sugar intake exceeding the Nordic nutritional recommendations. The majority of the participants reported a high intake frequency (> 2.5/day) of sweet foods and drinks and less than one intake of fruit and vegetables, respectively, per day. Similar results were found when analyzing adherence by using the HDAS, where the lowest adherence according to dietary guidelines was shown for the food groups of sugar, whole meal products, and fruit and vegetables.

Conclusion: The results indicated a high intake of sugar and low intake of fruit, vegetables, and fiber in high caries-active individuals.

Citing Articles

Impact of opioid abuse on oral health: a retrospective cohort study.

Smeda M, Knogl C, Muller K, Stahl M, Buchalla W, Keim L Front Oral Health. 2025; 6:1483406.

PMID: 40061255 PMC: 11885281. DOI: 10.3389/froh.2025.1483406.

Oral Hygiene, Dietary Habits, and Saliva Properties in Relation to the Decayed, Missing, and Filled Teeth Index of Dental Students: A Pilot Study.

Mandinic Z, Stojanovic J, Prokic A, Beloica M, Jovanovic S, Kuzmanovic Pficer J Medicina (Kaunas). 2025; 60(12.

PMID: 39768903 PMC: 11728407. DOI: 10.3390/medicina60122023.

Starch intake and caries increment: A longitudinal study in Finnish adults.

Jangda F, Suominen A, Lundqvist A, Mannisto S, Golkari A, Bernabe E Public Health Nutr. 2024; 27(1):e263.

PMID: 39587424 PMC: 11705017. DOI: 10.1017/S1368980024002398.

Association between flavonoids intake and dental caries in children and adolescents: a cross-sectional study from the NHANES database.

Fan J, Liu S, Zhang Q, Qiao L, Chu Q BMC Oral Health. 2024; 24(1):848.

PMID: 39060994 PMC: 11282690. DOI: 10.1186/s12903-024-04567-1.

Association between dietary fiber to carbohydrate ratio and risk of dental caries in diabetic patients: an analysis of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2015-2020.

Liang X, Lu H, Lin P, Huang X Front Nutr. 2024; 11:1440306.

PMID: 39027657 PMC: 11254849. DOI: 10.3389/fnut.2024.1440306.

References

Huybrechts I, Bornhorst C, Pala V, Moreno L, Barba G, Lissner L . Evaluation of the Children's Eating Habits Questionnaire used in the IDEFICS study by relating urinary calcium and potassium to milk consumption frequencies among European children. Int J Obes (Lond). 2011; 35 Suppl 1:S69-78. DOI: 10.1038/ijo.2011.37. View

Sheiham A, James W . A new understanding of the relationship between sugars, dental caries and fluoride use: implications for limits on sugars consumption. Public Health Nutr. 2014; 17(10):2176-84. PMC: 10282617. DOI: 10.1017/S136898001400113X. View

Bel-Serrat S, Mouratidou T, Pala V, Huybrechts I, Bornhorst C, Fernandez-Alvira J . Relative validity of the Children's Eating Habits Questionnaire-food frequency section among young European children: the IDEFICS Study. Public Health Nutr. 2013; 17(2):266-76. PMC: 10282422. DOI: 10.1017/S1368980012005368. View

van Loveren C . Sugar Restriction for Caries Prevention: Amount and Frequency. Which Is More Important?. Caries Res. 2018; 53(2):168-175. PMC: 6425816. DOI: 10.1159/000489571. View

Schwendicke F, Dorfer C, Schlattmann P, Foster Page L, Thomson W, Paris S . Socioeconomic inequality and caries: a systematic review and meta-analysis. J Dent Res. 2014; 94(1):10-8. DOI: 10.1177/0022034514557546. View

Yuan C, Spiegelman D, Rimm E, Rosner B, Stampfer M, Barnett J . Relative Validity of Nutrient Intakes Assessed by Questionnaire, 24-Hour Recalls, and Diet Records as Compared With Urinary Recovery and Plasma Concentration Biomarkers: Findings for Women. Am J Epidemiol. 2017; 187(5):1051-1063. PMC: 5928456. DOI: 10.1093/aje/kwx328. View

Rodrigues C, Sheiham A . The relationships between dietary guidelines, sugar intake and caries in primary teeth in low income Brazilian 3-year-olds: a longitudinal study. Int J Paediatr Dent. 2001; 10(1):47-55. DOI: 10.1046/j.1365-263x.2000.00165.x. View

Lanfer A, Hebestreit A, Ahrens W, Krogh V, Sieri S, Lissner L . Reproducibility of food consumption frequencies derived from the Children's Eating Habits Questionnaire used in the IDEFICS study. Int J Obes (Lond). 2011; 35 Suppl 1:S61-8. DOI: 10.1038/ijo.2011.36. View

Sina E, Buck C, Jilani H, Tornaritis M, Veidebaum T, Russo P . Association of Infant Feeding Patterns with Taste Preferences in European Children and Adolescents: A Retrospective Latent Profile Analysis. Nutrients. 2019; 11(5). PMC: 6566792. DOI: 10.3390/nu11051040. View

10.

Poslusna K, Ruprich J, de Vries J, Jakubikova M, Vant Veer P . Misreporting of energy and micronutrient intake estimated by food records and 24 hour recalls, control and adjustment methods in practice. Br J Nutr. 2009; 101 Suppl 2:S73-85. DOI: 10.1017/S0007114509990602. View

11.

Costacurta M, DiRenzo L, Sicuro L, Gratteri S, De Lorenzo A, Docimo R . Dental caries and childhood obesity: analysis of food intakes, lifestyle. Eur J Paediatr Dent. 2014; 15(4):343-8. View

12.

Kaye E, Sohn W, Garcia R . The Healthy Eating Index and coronal dental caries in US adults: National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2011-2014. J Am Dent Assoc. 2019; 151(2):78-86. PMC: 6995431. DOI: 10.1016/j.adaj.2019.09.009. View

13.

Park Y, Dodd K, Kipnis V, Thompson F, Potischman N, Schoeller D . Comparison of self-reported dietary intakes from the Automated Self-Administered 24-h recall, 4-d food records, and food-frequency questionnaires against recovery biomarkers. Am J Clin Nutr. 2018; 107(1):80-93. PMC: 5972568. DOI: 10.1093/ajcn/nqx002. View

14.

Moraeus L, Warensjo Lemming E, Hursti U, Arnemo M, Petrelius Sipinen J, Lindroos A . Riksmaten Adolescents 2016-17: A national dietary survey in Sweden - design, methods, and participation. Food Nutr Res. 2018; 62. PMC: 6116384. DOI: 10.29219/fnr.v62.1381. View

15.

Twetman S . Prevention of dental caries as a non-communicable disease. Eur J Oral Sci. 2018; 126 Suppl 1:19-25. DOI: 10.1111/eos.12528. View

16.

. Diet, nutrition and the prevention of chronic diseases. World Health Organ Tech Rep Ser. 2003; 916:i-viii, 1-149, backcover. View

17.

Idrees M, Hammad M, Faden A, Kujan O . Influence of body mass index on severity of dental caries: cross-sectional study in healthy adults. Ann Saudi Med. 2017; 37(6):444-448. PMC: 6074122. DOI: 10.5144/0256-4947.2017.444. View

18.

Feldens C, Giugliani E, Vigo A, Vitolo M . Early feeding practices and severe early childhood caries in four-year-old children from southern Brazil: a birth cohort study. Caries Res. 2010; 44(5):445-52. DOI: 10.1159/000319898. View

19.

Nicklaus S, Boggio V, Chabanet C, Issanchou S . A prospective study of food variety seeking in childhood, adolescence and early adult life. Appetite. 2005; 44(3):289-97. DOI: 10.1016/j.appet.2005.01.006. View

20.

Touger-Decker R, van Loveren C . Sugars and dental caries. Am J Clin Nutr. 2003; 78(4):881S-892S. DOI: 10.1093/ajcn/78.4.881S. View