Open AccessPractical problems in use of sugar substitutes in preventive dentistry
Author(s) -
NM Roshan,
Sakeenabi Basha
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
journal of international society of preventive and community dentistry
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.476
H-Index - 14
eISSN - 2250-1002
pISSN - 2231-0762
DOI - 10.4103/2231-0762.86373
Subject(s) - dentistry , sugar , sweetening agents , medicine , food science , chemistry
Sugar (sucrose) being most acceptable sweetening agent in use by mankind is considered as the "Arch Criminal" in dental caries initiation. Search for suitable sweetening agent which will satisfy all the characteristics of sugar along with being non-cariogenic is going on since decades. At this given point of time, there is no such substitute which will replace sugar in all aspects, but, cariogenic potential can certainly be reduced by using sugar substitutes. Recently, few sugar substitutes are even considered to have antimicrobial property against caries producing microbes in oral cavity. Although sweetening agents and sugar substitutes are available in market in various forms, how acceptable are they?, what are the public perceptions regarding their use?, and their use in caries prevention are few areas still very much unclear.