[okie01]

Diet.

Really?

The per capita consumption of sugar has gone down, to be sure. But it has been replaced by other sweeteners. And per capita consumption of items like soft drinks and candy has actually increased, if I'm not mistaken.

Would there be any difference between cane (or beet) sugar and, say, high-fructose corn syrup in terms of their contribution to the incidence of caries?

Purportedly, children consume more calories today than they did 30-40 years ago. So, they're getting their -oses somewhere...

[exDemMom]

Would there be any difference between cane (or beet) sugar and, say, high-fructose corn syrup in terms of their contribution to the incidence of caries?

No.

[Carry_Okie]

The dietary key is calcium intake. Kids get more than they used to. Sealing technology helps too. Really, look at that New Zealand study. It's the best there is.