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. 2013 Mar;103(3):494-500.
doi: 10.2105/AJPH.2012.300889. Epub 2013 Jan 17.

Water fluoridation and the association of sugar-sweetened beverage consumption and dental caries in Australian children

Jason M Armfield  1 , A John Spencer, Kaye F Roberts-Thomson, Katrina Plastow
Affiliations

Water fluoridation and the association of sugar-sweetened beverage consumption and dental caries in Australian children

Jason M Armfield et al. Am J Public Health. 2013 Mar.

Abstract

Objectives: We examined demographic and socioeconomic differences in the consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs), its association with dental caries in children, and whether exposure to water fluoridation modifies this association.

Methods: In a cross-sectional study, we used a stratified, clustered sampling design to obtain information on 16 508 children aged 5 to 16 years enrolled in Australian school dental services in 2002 to 2005. Dental staff assessed dental caries, and parents completed a questionnaire about their child's residential history, sources of drinking water, toothbrushing frequency, socioeconomic status (SES), and SSB consumption.

Results: Children who brushed their teeth less often and were older, male, of low SES, from rural or remote areas consumed significantly more SSBs. Caries was significantly associated with greater SSB consumption after controlling for potential confounders. Finally, greater exposure to fluoridated water significantly reduced the association between children's SSB consumption and dental caries.

Conclusions: Consumption of SSBs should be considered a major risk factor for dental caries. However, increased exposure to fluoridated public water helped ameliorate the association between SSB consumption and dental decay. These results reconfirm the benefits of community water fluoridation for oral health.

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Figures

FIGURE 1—
FIGURE 1—
Caries experience by sugar-sweetened beverage consumption among children enrolled in Australian School Dental Services: South Australia, Victoria, Tasmania, and Queensland, 2002–2005. Note. dmft = decayed, missing, and filled deciduous teeth; DMFT = decayed, missing, and filled permanent teeth; SSB = sugar-sweetened beverage. Whiskers indicate 95% confidence intervals.
FIGURE 2—
FIGURE 2—
Interactions between SSB consumption and lifetime exposure to fluoridated water on children enrolled in Australian School Dental Services who were (a) aged 5–10 years with dmft and (b) aged 11–16 years with DMFT: South Australia, Victoria, Tasmania, and Queensland, 2002–2005. Note. dmft = decayed, missing, and filled deciduous teeth; DMFT = decayed, missing, and filled permanent teeth; LEFW = lifetime exposure to fluoridated water; SSB = sugar-sweetened beverage.
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