Relationship between sugar intake and early childhood caries in preschoolers. Systematic Review

Abstract

Introduction: Early childhood caries is a severe type of caries. It is a highly prevalent disease in Chile and the world. Its etiology is multifactorial, but diet has been shown to be a fundamental component in its development. Within this, preferences for certain foods, particularly those containing sugar, are a determining factor in children's diet. Therefore, the objective of this research is to establish the existing evidence on the relationship between sugar intake and early childhood caries in preschoolers. Methods: A qualitative systematic review was carried out using PubMed, Scielo and Scopus databases. The terms early childhood caries, sugar consumption, sugar intake, child, dental caries, sugar dietary were used. Studies were included between 2017 and 2022. Results: Twenty-six article were selected for analysis. Of these, 18 articles reported a positive relationship between sugar intake and early childhood caries. In addition, six factors were found to potentiate this relationship: early introduction of sugar into the diet, amount of sugar consumed, frequency of consumption, occasion of consumption, caregiver knowledge and practices, sweet taste preferences. Conclusions: Sugar intake is directly related to the development of early childhood caries. There are a variety of factors that potentiate this association; therefore, education and prevention are key in children with high sugar diet to prevent early childhood caries.