Taste Perception in School Children: Is There an Association with Dental Caries?

Summary Background/Aim: Individuals make food choices based on a number of physiological, nutritional, environmental and socioeconomic factors but sensory qualities of food namely the taste has priority as the determinant in food selection. The purpose of the study is to evaluate sweet, salty, sour and bitter taste perceptions of school children and compare them in term of caries experience. Material and Methods: Two hundred children aged from 6-13 were included in the study. The dental examinations of children were performed using DMF(T), DMF(S), df(t) and df(s) indices. Questionnaires were presented to parents to record the socioeconomic and educational levels, oral health knowledge, child’s general health, oral health habits and fluoride exposure. Children rinsed sucrose (12g/L; 24g/L), sodium chloride (2g/L; 4g/L), citric acid (0,6g/L; 1,20g/L) and caffeine (0,27g/L; 0,54g/L) solutions randomly and the taste perception was recorded. Relationship between the taste perception and caries experience were evaluated. Results: A significant correlation was found between 2 g/L of NaCl and age (p= 0,007, r= 0,178). When occlusal or approximal caries of the children aged from 6 to 9 were discriminated, the Spearman’s test found a weak positive correlation between occlusal caries and higher sweet taste (24 g/L sucrose) (r= 0,232; p= 0,021) and a weak negative correlation between approximal caries and higher salty taste (4 g/L NaCl) (r= –0,225; p= 0,025). Conclusions: Age should be considered in the assessment of taste perception of children. Additionally, there is a weak relationship between taste perceptions and dental caries. These data suggest that further studies need to focus on the effect of taste preferences on dental caries.