Aim: To investigate the relationship between the usage of nutrition facts labels (NFL) and oral and dietary practices and the decayed, missing, and filled teeth (DMFT) score.
Methods: A self-administered questionnaire was distributed to a convenient sample of 150 adult dental patients attending the King Abdulaziz University Dental Hospital in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Electronic dental records were accessed to record each patient's DMFT score.
Results: Only 38% (N=57) of the participants read the NFL on their food. A statistically significant association was found between patients' DMFT scores and the NFL reading. Participants who said they read NFLs had lower mean DMFT scores than those who said they did not (8.4 vs. 10.5).
Conclusions: The results of this study demonstrate that there is low usage of NFL among participants. A significant association was noted between the reading of the NFL and caries experience as measured using the DMFT index.
Keywords: dental caries; dietary practices; nutrition facts label; oral health; saudi arabia.
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