June 12, 2014 (foodconsumer.org) -- Drinking sugar sweetened beverages can increase risk of dental caries in adults and using fluoride toothpaste does not help lower the risk, according to a study published in Journal of Dentistry.

The study shows that adults drinking 1 to 2 and 3 plus sugar sweetened beverages daily were 31% and 33% more likely to have decayed, missing, and filled teeth, compared with those who did not drink any.

And the study also shows that socio-demographic characteristics and use of fluoride toothpaste do not affect the risk of dental caries.

The study was based on data from 939 dentate adults who were enrolled in both the Health 2000 Survey and the Follow-Up Study of Finnish Adults’ Oral Health.

The sugar that is most commonly used in soft drinks and sweetened processed foods is high fructose corn syrup, which is made of glucose and fructose both of which are easy for bacteria to use and produce tooth-damaging acids.

Complex carbohydrates like starch found in rice and wheat and other grains are relatively hard for bacteria to use as it takes longer time for bacteria to break them down into glucose and use them.  (David Liu, PHD)

Eduardo Bernabéa, Miira M. Vehkalahtib, Aubrey Sheihame, Arpo Aromaaf, Anna L. Suominen.   Sugar-sweetened beverages and dental caries in adults: A 4-year prospective study, Journal of Dentistry, 2014.