Sugar impact

This comes as Public Health England (PHE) published its plans to help the population to reduce dietary sugar. The FGDP(UK), which was part of the group that helped to inform the plans, stresses the need to consider food policy as part of the key determinants of oral health, particularly with respect to the consumption of sugary drinks by children. This was also highlighted in the FGDP(UK)’s June 2014 response to NHS England’s Call to Action on improving oral health.

Tooth decay, the softening and eventual loss of tooth enamel resulting in cavities, is caused by acid produced when sugar and oral bacteria combine. A systematic review of studies over a 60-year period, undertaken on behalf of the World Health Organization and published earlier this year, supported the link between the level of sugar consumed and the development of dental cavities. It concluded that the risk of tooth decay is lower when sugar intake is less than 10 per cent of calorie intake, compared with more than 10 per cent.