Dental caries is one of the most common chronic childhood diseases worldwide. 1 It is initiated by the consumption of fermentable carbohydrates which are converted into organic acids by bacteria in dental plaque. These acids cause a fall in the salivary pH and result in demineralization by the loss of calcium and phosphate ions from the subsurface of enamel. 2
Prevalence of dental caries was seen to be 61% in children between 6 – 12 years 3 and those consuming sugar substances were at a 4.8 times higher risk.4
Key factors in determining dietary cariogenic, cariostatic and anti-cariogenic properties are the food form and texture, frequency of fermentable carbohydrate consumption, retention time, nutrient composition, the potential …show more content…
Hence we have selected these chocolates for our study.6
Diet counseling has gained emphasis to prevent decay, with limitation of sugar intake being the key objective. However lack of patient compliance renders this concept ineffective creating a need for an alternative solution.As the cariogenic potential of food is, in part, related to the retention time of carbohydrates in the mouth due to their acidogenicity, the role of saliva in oral carbohydrate clearance, presence of remineralizing ions like calcium and phosphorus and its buffering capacity as well its antioxidant properties is of paramount interest. Alteration in these parameters and oxidative stress by bacterial challenge have been implicated with the incidence and prevalence of caries. The delicate balance of demineralization and remineralization to which hard tissues are subjected to dwells on the level of salivary calcium, phosphorus and alkaline phosphatase. At the early stage of demineralization, salivary calcium and phosphorus diffuse into the subsurface causing a reversal. However in children with high caries risk, repeated or increased