Turku sugar studies I. An intermediate report on the effect of sucrose, fructose and xylitol diets on the caries incidence in man

Abstract

Abstract

The present report covers the results after the first year of a 2-year trial, carried out in order to evaluate eventual differences in the caries incidence as influenced by sucrose (S), fructose (F) and xylitol (X) consumption. The initial material comprised 125 persons, mean age 27.5 yrs., divided according to individual preference and randomly into three groups. The S-group included 35, the F-group 38, and the X-group 52 persons, the latter group rendered oversize due to fear of loss of material. Initially no significant differences were found between the groups with regard to age, sex, number of primary and secondary carious surfaces with and without defect, number of filled surfaces and extracted teeth, and the DMFS-index. During the first 12 months of diet only 1 participant in the X-group discontinued due to diarrhoea. In addition, 2 were excluded due to lack of cooperation. Caries activity was expressed in quantitative, qualitative and combined terms through clinical and radiographic assessment. Irrespective of these methods, the caries incidence, expressed as difference between positive and negative reversals, new fillings, and increase in lesion size was lowest in the X-group, the difference as compared to the S-group being highly significant, and close to 90 %. The F-group incidence was 25 % lower than in the S-group. The results showed a dramatical reduction of the caries incidence in the X-group and indicated a therapeutic and remineralizing effect on dental caries.