On August 31, 2021 the first meeting of the Members of the Alliance For Cavity-Free Future CEE Chapter was held. ACFF CEE Chapter was established on June 25, 2014 and brings together 8 local ACFF Chapters from Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Romania, Hungary, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia formed by prominent dental professionals. Its primary goal is to conduct activities aimed at preventing the occurrence and progression of caries lesions in patients of all age groups in the region of Central and Eastern Europe. This goal is in line with the overarching goal of the ACFF Global Division, which states that Every child born in Europe in 2026 and beyond should be cavity-free for their entire life.
This year’s meeting was hosted by Professor Urszula Kaczmarek – Chairwoman of the ACFF CEE. Due to the pandemic, the meeting was held online. The ACFF CEE Members met to discuss the problem of dental caries in the context of the risks posed by a diet rich in sugars, including hidden sugars.
In the Central and Eastern Europe region caries level in the population of 12-year-olds ranges from 1.57 (in Slovakia) to 2.84 (in Poland). Younger and older children are also affected by this problem. In addition, in 2018, the consumption of sugar – one of the determinants of caries development – ranged from 18.7kg per person (in Estonia) to 45.1kg per person (in Poland) and was higher in each country of the CEE region than in the previous year (data according to Faostat).
Although the consequences of excessive sugar consumption, such as obesity, diabetes, and deterioration of quality of life are obvious, awareness of the impact of diet on the development of caries is insufficient. Data show that diet appears to be of primary importance in the etiology of dental caries, as tooth brushing can only partially mitigate the impact of poor dietary behaviors on the development of this disease.
The ACFF CEE Members present at the meeting agreed that it is necessary to develop a common position on dietary policy for children, adolescents and teenagers in terms of caries prevention. Implementation of such a tool, dedicated to dentists, pediatricians, diabetologists, gynecologists, general practitioners, dieticians and medical staff in general, will help to reduce the development of caries in our region.
We will keep you informed about the outcome of the ACFF CEE Members work.