Sugar Consumption and Oral Health

Abstract

Dietary sugar plays a pivotal role in the development of dental caries and is also an important risk factor for obesity and other chronic, non-communicable diseases such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Sugar is cheap and widely available – in most high- and middle-income countries, sugar consumption far exceeds the levels recommended by health organisations such as the WHO. The sugar industry is a powerful global player that increasingly targets new markets in low- and middle-income countries, where consumption is currently rising, with serious implications for oral and general health. This chapter provides an overview of current public health guidelines in relation to dietary sugar, the role of sugar for oral and general health, and current global trends in sugar production and consumption. It then outlines the social and commercial determinants of sugar consumption and proposes policy solutions to reduce sugar intake from upstream to downstream levels.