Prediction of the cariogenicity of various foods.

Because of the complex nature of the interactions between dietary constituents and the teeth in the development of dental caries it is inappropriate to try to arrive at an absolute determination of whether or not consumption of a food will always give rise to the formation of cavities. Prediction of a food's cariogenicity can be most usefully regarded as a relative assessment of the food's potential, among other foods, to give rise to caries, with other modifying factors held constant. Cariogenic potential cannot be assessed in human studies for a wide range of foods. However, the most productive experimental approaches have employed animal feeding studies, where eating patterns can be strictly controlled and human biochemical tests on pH responses to food consumption by dental plaque in vivo. Such studies have now produced data on dietary items normally consumed in western countries as snacks, sweets, soft drinks as well as mealtime items. Data on the relative cariogenic potential of foods are of value not only to the dental profession in advising patients on food selection, but also to the food industry in relation to product development and marketing and to government agencies with the responsibility for health education and marketing regulation.