While children in most industrialised countries have increasingly healthy teeth, tooth decay is rising in emerging markets and some industrialising countries, a German expert warns.
“As wealth increases in these countries, so does sugar consumption,” noted Christian Splieth, a professor at Greifswald University Hospital’s Department of Paedodontology. Sugar contributes to tooth decay.
At the same time, established cavity prevention programmes are lacking in these developing countries, which include Brazil, Lithuania and Poland.
Twelve-year-olds there have an average of six teeth with cavities, said Mr. Splieth, speaking on the occasion of the 61st Congress of the European Organization for Caries Research (ORCA) in Greifswald earlier this month.
In contrast, German 12-year-olds have an average of only 0.7 teeth with cavities, compared with seven in the 1980s — a decrease of 90 per cent.
“The decline of tooth decay is a medical success story,” said Mr. Splieth, who pointed out that children from lower-income families tended to have more cavities, however.
Researchers attribute the decline of tooth decay in most industrialised countries to regular brushing with fluoride toothpaste, along with preventative measures in kindergartens and schools, and regular dental check-ups.
“The causes of tooth decay have been known since the 1950s and 60s,” Mr. Splieth said. “People have come to the view that you don’t have to end up with full dentures like Grandma.”
