ReviewInternational dental journal2013
Diet and the microbial aetiology of dental caries: new paradigms.
Review in International dental journal, 2013. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 62 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Who cites it
62 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- A systematic review of Streptococcus Mutans and Veillonellae species interactions in dental caries progression: Positive or Negative impact?F1000Research · 2024Pooled it
- Ultra-processed foods and early childhood caries in 0-3-year-olds enrolled at Primary Healthcare Centers in Southern Brazil.Public health nutrition · 2021Trial
- Topic Application of the ProbioticFrontiers in cellular and infection microbiology · 2020Trial
- The caries preventive effect of 1-year use of low-dose xylitol chewing gum. A randomized placebo-controlled clinical trial in high-caries-risk adults.Clinical oral investigations · 2017Trial
- A randomised clinical study to evaluate the effect of brushing duration on fluoride levels in dental biofilm fluid and saliva in children aged 4-5 years.International dental journal · 2013Trial
- Hyperemesis gravidarum and oral health: A scoping review.International journal of gynaecology and obstetrics: the official organ of the International Federation of Gynaecology and Obstetrics · 2026Article
- A narrative review of screen time as a behavioural determinant of paediatric oral health.European archives of paediatric dentistry : official journal of the European Academy of Paediatric Dentistry · 2026Review
- Salivary microbiome and metabolome profiles associated with dental caries in Tibetan children from high-altitude regions.Odontology · 2026Article
- Oral hygiene and popular science: Paolo Mantegazza (1831-1910) and the question of sugar in dental caries.British dental journal · 2026Article
- The Role ofBiomedicines · 2026Review
- Ecological and evolutionary dynamics of the oral microbiome across childhood.bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology · 2026Article
- Review
- The antibiofilm effect and mechanism of silver nanowire-modified glass ionomer cement against multi-species oral biofilm.BMC oral health · 2025Article
- The Effect of Dielectric Barrier Discharge Plasma onJournal of lasers in medical sciences · 2025Article
- Fluoride and gallein regulate polyphosphate accumulation in dental caries-associatedMicrobiology (Reading, England) · 2024Article
- Multilocus sequence typing and phenotypic properties of Streptococcus mutans from Thai children with different caries statuses.BMC oral health · 2024Article
- Diet and Caries-associated Bacteria in Severe Early Childhood Caries AnJournal of pharmacy & bioallied sciences · 2024Article
- Plant-Derived Compounds: A Promising Tool for Dental Caries Prevention.Current issues in molecular biology · 2024Review
- Study of Cytotoxic and Antibacterial Activity of Ag- and Mg-Dual-Doped ZnO Nanoparticles.ChemistryOpen · 2024Article
- Diet, Oral Hygiene Habits, and Approach to Dental Visits of Early School-Aged Children during the COVID-19 Pandemic and Possible Long-Term Health Consequences.Journal of clinical medicine · 2023Article
2 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
2 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
The microbial and dietary factors that drive caries have been studied scientifically for 120 years. Frequent and/or excessive sugar (especially sucrose) consumption has been ascribed a central role in caries causation, while Streptococcus mutans appeared to play the key role in metabolising sucrose to produce lactic acid, which can demineralise enamel. Many authors described caries as a transmissible infectious disease. However, more recent data have shifted these paradigms. Streptococcus mutans does not fulfil Koch's postulates - presence of the organism leading to disease, and absence of the organism precluding disease. Furthermore, molecular microbiological methods have shown that, even with a sugar-rich diet, a much broader spectrum of acidogenic microbes is found in dental plaque. While simple sugars can be cariogenic, cooked starches are also now recognised to be a caries threat, especially because such starches, while not 'sticky in the hand', can be highly retentive in the mouth. Metabolism of starch particles can yield a prolonged acidic challenge, especially at retentive, caries-prone sites. These changes in the paradigms of caries aetiology have important implications for caries control strategies. Preventing the transmission of S. mutans will likely be inadequate to prevent caries if a sufficiently carbohydrate-rich diet continues. Similarly, restriction of sucrose intake, although welcome, would be unlikely to be a panacea for caries, especially if frequent starch intake persisted. Instead, approaches to optimise fluoride delivery, to target plaque acidogenicity or acidogenic microbes, to promote plaque alkali generation, to increase salivary flow or replace fermentable carbohydrates with non-fermentable alternatives may be more promising.
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Registered trials
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