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Lifelong Sugar-Sweetened Beverage Intakes Increase Risk of Dental Caries During Early Adulthood Lifelong Sugar-Sweetened Beverage Intakes Increase Risk of Dental Caries During Early Adulthood
Abstract   Open access   Peer reviewed

Lifelong Sugar-Sweetened Beverage Intakes Increase Risk of Dental Caries During Early Adulthood Lifelong Sugar-Sweetened Beverage Intakes Increase Risk of Dental Caries During Early Adulthood

Teresa Marshall, Oscar Rysavr, John Warren and Steven Levy
Current developments in nutrition, Vol.9(Supplement 2), 106219
05/01/2025
DOI: 10.1016/j.cdnut.2025.106219
url
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cdnut.2025.106219View
Published (Version of record) Open Access

Abstract

Objectives: Sugar-sweetened beverages (SSB) are associated with dental caries during childhood and adolescence. Our objective was to investigate associations between lifelong SSB intakes and dental caries at age 23. Methods: Weighted averages of daily milk (including infant formula before age 2), 100% juice (including juice drinks before age 9), water-based sugar-free beverage (WBB) intakes (oz), and SSB (including juice drinks after age 9), fluoride exposures, and toothbrushing frequencies of Iowa Fluoride Study participants (n=82 male, n=112 female) were calculated using trapezoidal area-under-the curve (AUC) for ages 1-23 years from questionnaires completed by parents and/or participants. At least one questionnaire during each age period (1-2, 2.01-4, 4.01-6, 6.01-10, 10.01-13, 13.01-17, and 17.1-23 years) was required for inclusion. Trained and calibrated dentists examined teeth to score cavitated caries and fillings; the number of decayed and filled surfaces (DFS) was calculated at age 23 years; and DFS counts were adjusted for the number of tooth surfaces present to determine the DFS attack rate (DFSAR) for modeling. Multivariable negative binomial regression models were used to examine associations between the independent variables of beverage intakes, fluoride exposures, toothbrushing, sex, and socioeconomic status and the dependent variable of DFSAR. Results: Age 1-23 year mean AUC±SD daily milk intakes were 11.6±4.9 oz, 100% juice intakes were 3.6±2.2 oz, WBB intakes were 18.2±8.9 oz, and SSB intakes were 9.4±5.7oz. Mean DFS was 4.0±5.5. In the final multivariable model adjusted for other beverage intakes, total fluoride intake excluding SSB fluoride (i.e., non-SSB fluoride), toothbrushing, sex, and baseline socioeconomic status, each additional 8 oz/day of SSB increased expected DFSAR by 139% (CI:34-329%; P=0.003) No other variables in the multivariate model were statistically significant at P< 0.05. Conclusions: Higher intakes of SSB during childhood, adolescence, and early adulthood were associated with higher caries attack rates at age 23, suggesting that SSB intake is an important, modifiable risk factor for dental caries in early adulthood.

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