Patients with diabetes may be at higher risk for developing dental caries than the general population; however, increasing dietary fiber intake may reduce this risk.
In addition, the authors write that patients with a higher fiber-to-carbohydrate ratio (FCR) may have lower odds of untreated dental caries and lower overall dental caries rates.
“Increasing the proportion of dietary fiber consumed by patients with diabetes may help prevent dental caries,” wrote the study authors, led by Xue Liang of Fujian Medical University in China.
Caries are caused by localized destruction of tooth tissue by acidic byproducts of bacterial fermentation of dietary carbohydrates. Diabetes worsens oral complications, leading to a higher prevalence of dental caries and an increased risk of heart failure in people with diabetes.
This study used data from the 2015-2020 US National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey database. FCR levels were divided into two groups based on a median of 0.13. Outcome measures included untreated caries and overall caries. Caries was defined as having at least one decayed, missing, or filled tooth.
Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to assess the association between FCR and these outcomes. Results were further stratified by age (<65 years and ≥65 years, respectively), gender, hypertension, and poverty level.
Of the 2412 patients with diabetes included in the study, 728 had untreated caries and 2104 had caries experience. Patients with an FCR ≥0.13 had lower odds of developing untreated caries (odds ratio [OR] = 0.72; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.52 to 0.99) and developing caries (OR = 0.63; 95% CI 0.42 to 0.93) compared with patients with an FCR <0.13.
Furthermore, stratified analysis showed that FCR ≥0.13 was associated with a lower likelihood of developing untreated caries in patients aged <65 years (OR = 0.64; 95% CI 0.42 to 0.97), women (OR = 0.57; 95% CI 0.35 to 0.93), individuals with hypertension (OR = 0.64; 95% CI 0.35 to 0.93, 0.66; 95% CI 0.45 to 0.96), and in patients with a poverty line ≥1 (OR = 0.64; 95% CI 0.42 to 0.99). According to the results obtained, similar results were observed in the presence of caries (p <0.05).
However, the study had its limitations. The diet included daily menus and supplements, but it only reflected recent eating habits. The study authors write that further research is needed to examine the effects of long-term fiber and carbohydrate intake.
“High FCR may be associated with a lower risk of dental caries in patients with diabetes,” they concluded.