The dental risk of dietary sugars is dependent mainly on the frequency
of intake, but the prevalence of caries in a population is strongly m
odified by other dietary, social, and behavioral factors independent f
rom intake of sugars. Regarding dietary factors, it must be remembered
that hidden sugars in fruit as well as polysaccharides are cariogenic
. The most important of the other factors is regular tooth brushing, w
hich results in the removal of the bacterial plaque that causes caries
and periodontal diseases and makes fluoride (which is contained in ev
ery advanced toothpaste) available for maintenance of the hard dental
tissues and for remineralization wherever demineralization has occurre
d. This explains why in most highly developed countries caries prevale
nce has decreased markedly during the past 20 y although consumption o
f sugars remained high.