Association Between Soda or Sports Drink Consumption and a Past-Year Dentist Visit: National Survey Among American Indian or Alaska Native High School Students, 2023

OBJECTIVES: Sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) are the leading contributor of added sugars in the diets of children, adolescents, and young adults aged 2 to 19 years and are associated with chronic diseases, including oral health conditions such as dental caries. We assessed the possible association between the consumption of soda or sports drinks (SSDs), 2 types of SSBs, and past-year dentist visits among American Indian or Alaska Native (AI/AN) high school students because this population has unique challenges related to oral health (eg, barriers to access to care) that might increase SSD consumption and decrease the frequency of dentist visits. METHODS: We analyzed data from the 2023 national Youth Risk Behavior Survey and used a 3-stage cluster sampling design to produce a nationally representative sample of students in grades 9 through 12 attending public and private schools. We examined the association between consumption of SSDs or water and having seen a dentist during the past 12 months for a dental check-up, examination, teeth cleaning, or other dental work among 2770 AI/AN students. RESULTS: Among 2770 AI/AN students, the weighted prevalence of having a dentist visit during the past 12 months was 67.6%. Students who consumed SSDs more frequently were less likely to have had a past-year dentist visit (adjusted prevalence ratio = 0.7; 95% CI, 0.5-0.9), whereas students who drank water ≥3 times per day were more likely to have had a past-year dentist visit (adjusted prevalence ratio = 1.3; 95% CI, 1.0-1.7). CONCLUSIONS: Community efforts to reduce consumption of SSBs such as SSDs, encourage healthier beverages such as water, and promote oral health visits in AI/AN communities could improve oral health outcomes.