Editing Tooth decay (section)

===Dietary modification===
[[File:Cavity numbers increase exponentially with sugar consumption.jpg|thumb|left|Annual caries incidence increases exponentially with annual per capita sugar consumption. Data based on 10,553 Japanese children whose individual lower first molar teeth were monitored yearly from the age of 6 to 11 years of age. Caries plotted on a [[Semi-log plot|logarithmic scale]], so line is straight.]]

People who eat more [[free sugar]]s get more cavities, with cavities increasing exponentially with increasing sugar intake. Populations with less sugar intake have fewer cavities. In one population, in Nigeria, where sugar consumption was about 2g/day, only two percent of the population, of any age, had had a cavity.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Sheiham |first1=A |last2=James |first2=WP |title=A new understanding of the relationship between sugars, dental caries and fluoride use: implications for limits on sugars consumption. |journal=Public Health Nutrition|date=October 2014 |volume=17 |issue=10 |pages=2176–84 |doi=10.1017/S136898001400113X |pmid=24892213|pmc=10282617 |doi-access=free }}</ref>

Chewy and sticky foods (such as candy, cookies, potato chips, and crackers) tend to adhere to teeth longer. However, dried fruits such as raisins and fresh fruit such as apples and bananas disappear from the mouth quickly, and do not appear to be a risk factor. Consumers are not good at guessing which foods stick around in the mouth.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Kashket|first1=S.|last2=Van Houte|first2=J.|last3=Lopez|first3=L. R.|last4=Stocks|first4=S.|date=1991-10-01|title=Lack of correlation between food retention on the human dentition and consumer perception of food stickiness|journal=Journal of Dental Research|volume=70|issue=10|pages=1314–1319|issn=0022-0345|pmid=1939824|doi=10.1177/00220345910700100101|s2cid=24467161}}</ref>

For children, the [[American Dental Association]] and the European Academy of Paediatric Dentistry recommend limiting the frequency of consumption of drinks with sugar, and not giving baby bottles to infants during sleep (see earlier discussion).<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.eapd.eu/index.php/post/nutrition-and-tooth-decay-in-infancy |title=Nutrition and tooth decay in infancy |website=European Academy of Paediatric Dentistry |publisher=Kyriaki Tsinidou |access-date=2019-04-06 |archive-date=2019-04-06 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190406141205/https://www.eapd.eu/index.php/post/nutrition-and-tooth-decay-in-infancy |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>[http://www.ada.org/public/topics/decay_childhood_faq.asp Oral Health Topics: Baby Bottle Tooth Decay] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060813180046/http://www.ada.org/public/topics/decay_childhood_faq.asp |date=2006-08-13 }}, hosted on the American Dental Association website. Page accessed August 14, 2006.</ref> Parents are also recommended to avoid sharing utensils and cups with their infants to prevent transferring bacteria from the parent's mouth.<ref>[http://www.aapd.org/media/Policies_Guidelines/G_InfantOralHealthCare.pdf Guideline on Infant Oral Health Care] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061206020725/http://www.aapd.org/media/Policies_Guidelines/G_InfantOralHealthCare.pdf |date=2006-12-06 }}, hosted on the [http://www.aapd.org American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070112073325/http://www.aapd.org/ |date=2007-01-12 }} website. Page accessed January 13, 2007.</ref>

[[Xylitol]] is a naturally occurring sugar alcohol that is used in different products as an alternative to sucrose (table sugar). As of 2015 the evidence concerning the use of xylitol in [[chewing gum]] was insufficient to determine if it is effective at preventing caries.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Twetman|first1=S|title=The evidence base for professional and self-care prevention--caries, erosion and sensitivity|journal=BMC Oral Health|year=2015|volume=15|issue=Suppl 1|pages=S4|pmid=26392204|pmc=4580782|doi=10.1186/1472-6831-15-S1-S4|doi-access=free}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal|last1=Twetman|first1=S|last2=Dhar|first2=V|title=Evidence of Effectiveness of Current Therapies to Prevent and Treat Early Childhood Caries|journal=Pediatric Dentistry|year=2015|volume=37|issue=3|pages=246–53|pmid=26063553|url=http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/aapd/pd/2015/00000037/00000003/art00005|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170328022551/http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/aapd/pd/2015/00000037/00000003/art00005|archive-date=2017-03-28}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal|last=Riley P, Moore D, Ahmed F, Sharif MO, Worthington HV|date=March 2015|title=Xylitol-containing products for preventing dental caries in children and adults|journal=Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews|volume=2015 |issue=3|pages=CD010743|doi=10.1002/14651858.CD010743.pub2|pmid=25809586|pmc=9345289 }}</ref>