ISA supports World Oral Health Day 2025
The International Sweeteners Association (ISA) celebrates World Oral Health Day (WOHD) on 20th March, an initiative by the FDI World Dental Federation aiming at empowering people with the knowledge, tools, and confidence to secure good oral health.
WOHD is a reminder that taking care of our mouths is key to living a healthier, happier life. 2025 marks the second of a three-year campaign celebrating “a happy mouth”. This year’s theme, “A HAPPY MOUTH IS… A HAPPY MIND“, highlights the connection between oral health and mental well-being1.
Oral diseases are among the most common non-communicable diseases (NCDs) worldwide, affecting an estimated 3.5 billion people2. They are linked to many chronic diseases and affect our overall physical and mental health.
Oral and mental health, along with other NCDs, share many common risk factors including an unhealthy diet high in sugar. For WOHD 2025, ISA has developed an infographic explaining how sugars and low/no calorie sweeteners differentially affect oral health.
Low/no calorie sweeteners are tooth-friendly ingredients
Eating a healthy diet, low in free/ added sugars, is critical for good oral health. Consuming too much sugar contributes to dental caries, also known as tooth decay3. Cutting down on the frequency and quantity of sugary treats can reduce the risk of oral health problems. One way to keep enjoying sweet taste while following a low-sugar diet is by replacing sugars in foods or drinks with tooth-friendlier ingredients such as low/no calorie sweeteners4.
Unlike sugars and other carbohydrates, low/no calorie sweeteners are not fermentable ingredients, meaning they are not broken down by bacteria in our mouth and do not contribute to dental caries4. Therefore, when sugars are replaced with non-cariogenic sugar substitutes in foods and drinks, the risk of dental caries is reduced5. Low/no calorie sweeteners have also been recognised for helping our teeth retain the minerals they need to maintain hardness and strength, when they are used instead of sugars6.
For more information on the beneficial role of low/no calorie sweeteners in oral health, we invite you to read two ISA resources for health professionals including Chapter 6 of the ISA booklet “Low/no calorie sweeteners: Role and Benefits” and the ISA factsheet dedicated to low/no calorie sweeteners and oral health.
Follow ISA on social media and engage with us using #ISA4WOHD and #WOHD25 to help spread the message that a #HappyMouth is a happy mind!
- World Oral Health Day (WOHD). Available at: https://www.worldoralhealthday.org/.
- World Health Organization (WHO). Global oral health status report: towards universal health coverage for oral health by 2030; 2022.
- EFSA Panel on Nutrition, Novel Foods and Food Allergens (NDA. Tolerable upper intake level for dietary sugars. EFSA Journal. 2022;20(2):307074.
- Gibson S, Drewnowski J, Hill A, Raben B, Tuorila H, Windstrom E. Consensus statement on benefits of low-calorie sweeteners. Nutrition Bulletin 2014;39(4):386-389.
- FDI Policy Statement: Sugar substitutes and their role in caries prevention. Adopted by the FDI General Assembly; 26th September 2008, Stockholm, Sweden.
- EFSA Panel on Dietetic Products, Nutrition, and Allergies (NDA); Scientific Opinion on the substantiation of health claims related to intense sweeteners. EFSA Journal. 2011;9(6):2229. [26 pp.].
