Dental researchers report on cavity war

Ronald Billings, professor of dentistry at the School of Medicine and Dentistry, presented results showing that the cavity rate among 10-year-old children in Rochester is on the rise slightly. For his study, Billings drew on data collected by the Eastman Dental Center over the last three decades in collaboration with the Monroe County Health Department, which has funded the surveys. He and other researchers noted a significant decrease in the cavity rate among children during the 1970s and through the early 1980s. Since then, the decline has flattened, and Billings's latest results show a slight increase in the rate of cavities. The most recent survey shows an average of three cavities per 10-year-old child, up from two cavities per child in the late 1980s.

The cavity rate among children is more than a matter of a little pain and inconvenience. "Cavities beget cavities," Billings said. "People at risk for tooth decay remain at risk for as long as they have teeth. Cavities early in life set in motion a never-ending process of drilling and filling."

William Bowen, Welcher Professor of Dentistry and an internationally recognized authority on tooth decay, added that complacency among health-care practitioners, funding agencies, and even dentists and patients is helping to drive the increased rate of cavities.

At the same meeting Bowen also presented research demonstrating that common preservatives such as benzoates and sorbates appear to enhance the cavity-protecting action of fluoride. His work picks up on a series of studies by another Rochester team led by microbiologist Robert Marquis.

"This is a serendipitous benefit of our diet today," said Bowen. "But you can't rely on serendipity to protect your teeth. There may be a more structured way to take advantage of this, such as putting these preservatives into toothpaste. In the meantime, people would do best to avoid high-sugar foods, including most soft drinks, and maintain good brushing habits."

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