Epidemiologic study of dental caries experience and between-meal eating patterns.

Dental caries has been designated as a bacterial disease, although there is no agreement as to the specific etiologic organisms involved.1 As a result of recent research, information on the mechanism of the activity of caries and the organisms concerned has been obtained. Bacteria, such as streptococcus strains, have been found to cause lesions on the smooth surfaces of animals' teeth; bacteria are dependent only on sucrose for the production of dextrans.2,3 Dextran binds bacteria together and causes them to stick to the teeth; sucrose is the principal substrate for the production of acids that attack and destroy the substance of the teeth.4 Consistent with these findings is the fact that the progress of lesions in populations is related directly to the presence and frequent use of sticky sugars in the diet.5 Prevalence of caries has been associated with the amount and frequency of high sucrose-containing, between-meal snacks.6 Caries experience is associated with betweenmeal eating so that differences or lack of differences between racial and geographic groups might be related to the amount and