Prevention of dental caries by functional foods

We have long history of trials for the prevention of dental caries by sugar substitutes. Recently, we have got many functional foods containing sugar substitutes or functional materials. Objectives: Methods: and Results: In this symposium, I should like to present etiological aspect of sucrose for the development of dental caries based on systematic reviews, and to present effectiveness of sugar substitutes to prevent dental caries in worldwide epidemiological trials, and to show recent development of non-cariogenic foods by Japanese manufacturers. I will also mention new rules for approval of functional foods (Foods for Specified Health Use) by Japanese government and guideline for the assessment of function of foods, especially candies and chewing gums containing sugar substitutes. In addition, several foods having new function to promote re-mineralization of de-mineralized enamel have been developed in Japan. There are three kinds of chewing gums that contain different functional materials promoting re-mineralization. Clinical trails are performed to verify the re-mineralization ability of these gums by different methods. But governmental guideline for the assessment of de-mineralization ability of foods is not established yet. Conclusion: Present and future problems concerning assessment of functional foods will be discussed.