Oral Health Impacts Of Infant Formula: International Cross Sectional Survey

To review available oral health impacts for infant formula products in multiple countries. Company managed formula industry websites providing details about products for healthy infants delivered at full term from 17 countries, including China and the United States. Evaluation of the relationships and cited scientific evidence for the ingredients was performed. The total number of ingredients listed was 707, with 49 unique types after removing duplicates. Among these, 25 ingredients were related to oral diseases, with 19 having established correlations: iodine, calcium, phosphorus, iron, zinc, magnesium, selenium, fat, omega-3, lactose, vitamin A, vitamin D, fiber, probiotics, lactoferrin, carbohydrates, taurine, folic acid, and β-carotene. A total of 114 relevant literature sources were identified, with the highest number of studies (19 articles) focusing on the correlation between calcium and periodontal disease. Among the 19 ingredients with measurable correlation strengths and cited evidence, the strongest positive and negative associations were identified for each disease: dental diseases (carbohydrates, OR=2; vitamin D, OR=-0.51), periodontal diseases (fat, OR=1.80; calcium, OR=-1.99), oral mucosal diseases (β-carotene, OR=-0.5), and oral cancer (vitamin D, OR=-1.99), with the latter two showing only negative correlations. Almost half of components in some brands of infant formula exhibit varying degrees of correlation with specific oral diseases. Research findings indicate that optimizing infant formula composition can help prevent early childhood caries, improve oral mucosal health, and regulate the oral microbiome, thereby reducing the risk of oral diseases.