Oral Health Day: Clear role for sugar replacers, suppliers say

20 Mar 2019 --- FDI World Dental Federation has proclaimed March 20 as Oral Health Day, to spread the message of good oral hygiene practices to adults and children and demonstrate “the importance of optimal oral health in maintaining general health and well-being.” This year’s campaign focuses on the link between oral care and overall health and well-being with its strapline: Act on mouth health – a healthy mouth and body go hand in hand. According to Innova Market Insights, healthy indulgence continues to be a strong trend driving consumers and it seems that dental health being a perk of tasty treats – such as chewing gum or hard sweets – will continue to be popular. A range of manufacturers are tapping into this by supplying sweeteners that have dental care properties.

Oral diseases now affect roughly half of the world’s population (3.58 billion people), with tooth decay in permanent teeth being the most prevalent condition. Recent media reports in the UK have highlighted that tooth decay is the number one reason for child hospital admissions, whilst across Europe adults aged 35 to 44 have an average of 10 to 20 teeth with dental decay.

Sufficient oral hygiene is crucial in maintaining overall oral health, however, even with the best tooth brushing technique, some bacteria will remain. With this in mind, good dental hygiene can be supported by the use of sugar-free candies and chewing gums, as they do not provide food for oral bacteria. Sugar-free products also prolong the time for regeneration as well as remineralization (self-repairing effect) on the teeth, whilst the action of sucking and chewing creates saliva that gives overall relief to the mouth.

“There is a growing number of solutions to help manufacturers develop solutions that support oral health. These include functional ingredients such as Beneo’s tooth-friendly sugar replacer ISOMALT. It is the most frequently used sugar replacer in sugar-free hard candies worldwide and a preferred ingredient for sugar-free chewing gums,” says Anke Sentko, Vice President Regulatory Affairs and Nutrition Communication at Beneo.

“Additionally, Beneo’s tooth-friendly sugar Palatinose offers manufacturers possibilities for creating chocolates, chewy candies and more that do not promote tooth decay,” she notes.

Both ISOMALT and Palatinose have an EU health claim for being tooth friendly and are “contributing to tooth mineralization.” In addition, they hold an US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) health claim of “not promoting tooth decay.” 

“With solutions like these on hand, manufacturers have an opportunity to reformulate products to become tooth friendly – offering yet another way for people to help ‘act on mouth health,’ supporting a healthy mouth and body,” Sentko says.

The International Sweeteners Association
“If you act on mouth health it will also have a positive impact on your general health and well-being.” This statement is from the International Sweeteners Association (ISA), who are joining the FDI World Dental Federation in celebrating World Oral Health Day in a bid to raise awareness about the importance of optimal oral health and about good oral hygiene practices.

To this day, dental caries remains the most common chronic disease and a major global health challenge. Oral diseases affect 3.9 billion people worldwide and untreated tooth decay impacts almost half of the world’s population. Maintaining good oral hygiene habits can help reduce oral disease risk and associated health complication, according to the ISA.

“These habits include regular tooth brushing, getting rid of unhealthy lifestyle habits such as smoking and high alcohol consumption, regular dental check-ups and eating a healthy diet, low in sugar and high in fruit and vegetables,” according to an ISA spokesperson. 

“Low-calorie sweeteners can fit well within a tooth-friendly diet as, unlike carbohydrates, they are not broken down by oral bacteria and thus do not contribute to, nor cause tooth decay.”

Alongside innovative products, simple nutrition can play a role in oral health. Experts at the University of Rochester Medical Center assert that saliva stimulation can help coat the teeth in minerals, which are protective. Aside from chewing sugarless gum, the ingestion of fibrous fruits and vegetables are good ways to induce saliva.

According to Innova Market Insights data, oral health products are increasingly marketing themselves from a natural positioning, as well as a cosmetic one. “Beauty from within” claims all contribute to a more holistic understanding of wellbeing and consumers are increasingly looking to inherent health benefits from natural ingredients which convey better-for-you appeal. The marker researcher covers a range of innovative products and suppliers tapping into the tooth-care market. When it comes to teeth, more than a shiny, white veneer is the goal: strong teeth and a healthy mouth – chemically free – are in demand.