Impact of Sugary Beverages vs Fruit Juices on Pediatric Caries: A Systematic Review
Pediatric caries, dental health, fruit juice, and sugary drinks.
AuthorsAbstractBackground: Pediatric tooth decay is among the most prevalent chronic diseases in the world with over 60 90% of school going children having the condition [1]. A significant dietary risk factor is intake of beverages that are sweetened using sugar. Even though fruit juices might be thought of as healthier options, the natural sugars and acidic formulation of fruit juices may lead to the enamel demineralization process and consequently to the progression of tooth decay. Objectives: The purpose of this systematic review was to determine the influence of sugary beverages and fruit juices on dental caries in children between the age of 1 and 18 years old. In particular, it evaluated their effects on the prevalence of caries, DMFT/dmft score, and general risk. The review presents a comparative study on the consumption of sugary drinks and fruit juices in comparison to paediatric dental caries. Methods: It was a thorough search of PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar that covered the years 1 st January 2015 to 1 st December 2025. The research was conducted according to PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items to Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses). They included observational and longitudinal studies investigating the use of beverages and caries in children. Eligible studies were a dozen in number. The information that was obtained out of every research was the authors, year of publication, study design, type of exposure, and the caries results. Results: A majority of the studies found a significant correlation between the consumption of sugary beverages and dental caries with high levels of DMFT/dmft scores reported in frequent consumers. The results of fruit juice were inconsistent; 100% fruit juice was less likely to risk caries when consumed with meal but more often or between meal consumption was more prone to caries. Conclusion: Fruit juices and beverages are highly responsible in causing dental caries among children. Frequent high levels of fruit juice consumption have a moderate yet significant risk of caries depending on the patterns of consumption. Prevention should aim at cutting the consumption of sugary beverages, advising people to take the right amount of fruit juices, and enhancing oral health education of people.
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