A recent study done by scientists from King’s College London showed that being obese or overweight is linked to having tooth wear. Also, they found that the increased consumption of sugar-sweetened acidic drinks may be the leading cause of tooth enamel (hard outer covering of the tooth) and dentine (the hard tissue beneath the enamel) erosion in obese patients.
The study published in the journal Clinical Oral Investigations used data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey from 2003 to 2004. The researchers analyzed 3,541 participants in the US and compared patient body mass index (BMI) and the level of tooth wear. They also recorded participants’ intake of sugar-sweetened acidic drinks over two non-consecutive 24-hour recall interviews.
Lead author Dr. Saoirse O’Toole said that it is the acidic nature of carbonated drinks and acidic fruit juices that leads to tooth wear.
“This is an important message for obese patients who are consuming calories through acidic sugar sweetened drinks. These drinks may be doing damage to their body and their teeth,” said Dr. O’Toole.
“There is also an important message for dentists. We should be asking our patients who are obese and have tooth wear what calories they are drinking as this may be having an effect on their full bodies -not just their teeth.”
Read the study here.
