Is the Sugar Industry hiding Its Cavity Causers?

Sugar’s historic connection to Cavities

Any dentist will inform you that consuming sugar could cause cavities which, if left untreated, can result in fillings and root canals. Thankfully, tooth-colored fillings at the moment are a standard and cost-effective cavity answer for patients who need them after a root canal or another procedure. However preventing root canals and other dental issues is, after all preferable to having dental work.

Cavity Causers Uncovered

Not too long ago, historical documents from the National Institutes of Health revealed that the sugar industry pressured government agencies to leave sugary foods out of pediatric tooth decay literature. A postdoctoral scholar in health policy at the University of California, San Francisco, Cristin Kearns, found over 300 letters from forty-plus years in the past which she says are much like the tobacco business’s commitment to downplaying the dangers of smoking—except these dealt sugar. Between 1959 and 1971, organic chemist Roger Adams (at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign) was a advisor for research organizations within the sugar industry. In his paperwork, Kearns found that sugar companies realized from at the very least 1950 that sugar prompted tooth decay.

Other Cavity Cover-ups

Despite the fact that it’s clear to Kearns that the sugar industry knew of this danger, they created a tactic to divert attention away from this harmful and avoidable issue. Many methods were adopted, such as sugar companies funding analysis on tooth decay prevention or adding a particular enzyme to foods that was good at battling plaque. A 1968 news article titled, “These monkeys may save your teeth,” covered a lab experiment that established how adding an enzyme to raw sugar broke down tooth plaque in monkeys.

In 1971, the National Institute of Dental Research started the National Caries Program. Nevertheless, Kearns says, “What didn’t get accomplished is creating objective assessments to categorize foods as to whether they’re safe or harmful to tooth enamel.” Documents now show that the sugar industry was additionally a driving power behind the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR), which led to the Food and Drug Administration not having all the required data to label food as cavity-promoting or not.

Cavity Research Trail hasn’t Corroded

So far, Kearns’ discoveries haven’t dredged up any official feedback from the sugar industry or anybody from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) or the NIDCR, perhaps partly because the original analysis occurred so long ago. Nevertheless, in her conclusion she states that, “Our findings are a wake-up call for government officials charged with protecting the general public’s well being, as well as public health advocates, to understand that the sugar industry, just like the tobacco business, seeks to guard earnings over public well being.”

Luckily, dentists do an incredible job of teaching patients—however only when patients maintain regular appointments. In case you haven’t been having your teeth cleaned regularly, call Midway Dental Center at (772) 464-4822 for an appointment. You should be able to enjoy the occasional sugary treat with out worrying about causing too many opportunities for cavity creation. Your proper oral hygiene is all in an effort to maintain your tooth enamel’s good condition, and professional cleanings are an essential part of that routine.

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