[Relationship between nutrition and dental caries in a scientific perspective]

The consumption of sugars is supposed to be one of the main etiological factors of dental caries. However, in epidemiological studies only a faint relationship is found between nutrition and caries. One reason is the preventive effect of fluoride in modern industrialized countries. In this article attention is paid to factors which can modify the harmful effect of sugars in foods and allied products: the composition and consistency of the product, the way the product is consumed, environmental factors in the mouth such as composition of saliva and plaque, and local availability of fluoride. Results are presented of an epidemiological study into the relationship between consumption of sweet snacks and caries experience of primary school children.