Adding Raisins To Children's Cereal Will Contribute To Tooth Decay

A recent study about raisins being added to children's breakfast cereals raises an alarming contradiction about the modern theory of tooth decay.

The results of a study by Professor Christine Wu:

"Higher dental plaque acid levels contribute to cavities in children - but eating bran flakes with raisins containing no added sugar does not increase acid in dental plaque any more than just bran flakes alone, according to the study."

She then claims that, "Raisins are rapidly cleared from the surface of the teeth just like apples, bananas and chocolate."

But hold on a second. The American Dental Association (ADA) says cavities are caused by sticky stuff on teeth, like raisins.

So who is right here?

Raisins Will Contribute To Tooth Cavities in Children, and So Will Breakfast Cereals

In turns out that both the ADA and Professor Wu are half right and half wrong. Professor Wu is correct that raisins, like bananas, apples and chocolate will dissolve off the teeth quickly due to salivary amylase. Our saliva removes and digests foods out of our mouth rather quickly, especially carbohydrates. However Professor Wu is wrong, and the ADA is correct in asserting that raisins will contribute to tooth decay. Breakfast cereals have too much sugar and improperly prepared grains. Eating them frequently could result in toddler cavities.

Why Will Raisins Contribute To Tooth Cavities In Children?

The secret is dentinal fluid transport. (Say that three times fast.) Dentist Ralph Steinman helped discover a key internal mechanism for tooth cavities.

When we eat something sugary, our body has a fluctuation in blood sugar, which then tells our teeth to decay. This will hardly be noticeable in healthy children. But then again, there is a reason why 41% of children have cavities. That reason is because we don't eat good food. The mechanism of tooth decay is controlled by the hypothalamus and the parotid gland.

Worse than raisins for tooth decay are these breakfast cereals.