CATHY COGEN Kaufman's contention that eating a primarily plant-based diet of unprocessed whole foods will ensure healthy teeth and gums is incorrect ("Put teeth in health policy," Letters, Feb. 3). While a healthy diet is laudable, it will not magically prevent dental disease. Tooth decay, a disease process of many factors, requires a susceptible tooth, dental plaque with decay-promoting bacteria, and a fermentable carbohydrate. This fermentable carbohydrate can be processed sucrose (white table sugar), unprocessed sucrose (brown sugar), or fructose (the sugar contained in fresh fruits). Gingivitis and periodontitis (diseases of the gums and supporting bone) are related to the patient's susceptibility and to dental plaque with disease-causing bacteria adhering to the tooth's surface, not to a plant-based diet.
STEVEN M. MORGANO
Boston
The writer is professor of restorative sciences and biomaterials at Boston University School of Dental Medicine.
