Introduction:

oral health has an impact on an individual's state of health. There is a high incidence of dental caries, where factors such as the consumption of sugary foods favor its appearance.

Objective:

to describe the influence of sweeteners on the development of dental caries.

Methods:

A narrative review of the literature was carried out by means of a search for information in the SciELO and PubMed databases. The terms caries AND sweetener were used. Twenty-two documents were identified between the years 2017 - 2023, including only one article of Ecuadorian authorship.

Result:

The appearance of caries is favored by the consumption of sugar, which is a substrate for bacteria. There are compounds with similar properties that can be used as substitutes. The literature shows sweeteners as an alternative to replace sugar, where some of them have a caries preventive effect.

Conclusions:

sweeteners generally have a low cariogenic potential, having some preventive effects. Depending on the sweetener, its form of presentation and chemical composition, the effects may vary, with polyols having a greater preventive potential. Stevia rebaudiana is a suitable candidate to replace sucrose and exhibits potential properties to reduce the incidence of caries.

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