Sugar intake above international recommendations and oral disease burden: A population‐based study

Objective To evaluate the association between added sugar intake above the daily limit for the risk of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) and the Chronic Oral Disease Burden in adolescents. Methods This was a population‐based study using cross‐sectional data nested to RPS Cohorts Consortium, São Luís, Brazil, from the 18–19‐year‐old follow‐up (n = 2515). High consumption of added sugars was estimated according to the limits of the World Health Organization guidelines (WHO) (≥5% of total energy/day) and the American Heart Association statement (AHA) (≥25 g/day). The Chronic Oral Disease Burden was a latent variable (number of decayed teeth, periodontal probing depth ≥4 mm, clinical attachment level ≥3 mm, and bleeding on probing). Models were adjusted for Socioeconomic Status, sex, obesity, and plaque index and analyzed through structural equation modeling. Results Adolescents had high sugar consumption according to the WHO (78.6%) and AHA (81.4%) recommendations. High sugar intake, according to WHO (SC = 0.096; p = 0.007) and AHA (SC = 0.056; p = 0.027), was associated with a heavier Chronic Oral Disease Burden. Even half of the recommended dose was sufficient to affect some oral disease indicators. Conclusion Sugar intake over international statements to prevent NCDs is associated with higher Chronic Oral Disease Burden among adolescents.