DIETARY FACTORS IN DECIDUOUS TEETH CARIES: A COMPREHENSIVE ANALYSIS OF PATHOPHYSIOLOGICAL MECHANISMS AND SCIENTIFIC-THEORETICAL FOUNDATIONS

Abstract

This article provides a comprehensive analysis of dietary factors implicated in the development of deciduous teeth caries in children, integrating contemporary scientific evidence on the biochemical, microbiological, and pathophysiological mechanisms through which specific nutritional patterns drive caries initiation and progression. The study examines the role of fermentable carbohydrates, the frequency versus quantity paradigm of sugar exposure, the cariogenicity hierarchy among different sugar types, the protective and demineralizing properties of various food categories, and the specific pathophysiology of nursing bottle caries associated with prolonged liquid carbohydrate exposure. The findings establish that dietary cariogenicity operates through a multifactorial biochemical cascade involving bacterial fermentation, pH dynamics, and the demineralization-remineralization equilibrium, providing a mechanistic foundation for evidence-based dietary counseling in pediatric caries prevention.