Association between preference for sweet foods and dental caries

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To assess the relationship between caries prevalence and sugar preference in schoolchildren. METHODS: The sample has consisted of 96 schoolchildren of both genders and age ranging from 5 to 12, enrolled at the Maria Aparecida de Jesus Segura Rural School in Sumaré, São Paulo, Brazil. The inclusions criteria were: enrolled schoolchildren; with an authorization to participate in the research, from the parents or guardians; cooperative and not having orthodontic appliances, difficulty with mouth opening and no restriction on sugar consumption. The history of caries was performed by calibrated examiners (Kappa= 0,85) according the World Health Organization criteria. The preference for sugar was assessed using a modified version of the Sweet Preference Inventory. Each schoolchild tasted five grape juice solutions, in which the sugar concentration varied from 0 to 40g/liter. The association between the variables, DMFT and dmft was dichotomized into DMFT=0 and DMFT≥1; dmft=0 e dmft ≥1 and the sugar preference as low (A, B, C, D) and high (E). RESULTS: There was no significant association between the genders as regards preference for sugar in the solutions (Fisher Exact Test, p= 0.2150), and as regards the DMFT (Chi-Square Test, p=0.2789). In both caries history situations, the majority of the children preferred a high sugar concentration (Chi-Square Test, p=0.2463). CONCLUSION: There were no association between history of caries and preference of sugar. There no was association between gender and preference for sugar.