Sugar, Cavities, Systemic Disease and Addiction?

Historically and clinically, sugar has been shown to be a major causative factor in dental caries. Excess sugar intake in children has shown to be related to children developing less than 80% of their ideal weight, lower vitamin D levels, lower calcium levels, lower albumin concentrations, lower ferritin status, greater odds for iron deficiency anemia and children with higher levels of untreated caries were found to have poorer growth and elevated BMI percentiles, which increased risk to general health. Therefore at an early age, sugar has caused systemic and dental effects. These effects get more pronounced in adulthood, where sugar is shown to be related to cardiovascular disease, including high blood pressure and stroke, diabetes type 2, fatty liver, cancer including breast cancer and metastasis, additionally fructose is related to pancreatic cancer. As members of health care team, it is our professional responsibility to note the general health of patients and to make appropriate referrals to other health care professionals and to know how the diseases/disorders of the patient will impact on the dental treatment. When multiple dental caries are found and high sugar intake is suspected, appropriate referrals are important to the overall health of the patient.