Cheese and other milk products great for boosting your oral health!
A new study has claimed that cheese
and other dairy products can help protect the teeth. Cheese and other
dairy products is very important for bones and overall health, however
there’s little research into how it affects oral health. The new study
published in the General Dentistry, the peer reviewed clinical journal
of the Academy of General Dentistry (AGD), sampled 68 subjects ranging
in age from 12 to 15, and the authors looked at the dental plaque pH in
the subjects’ mouths before and after they consumed cheese, milk, or
sugar-free yogurt.
A pH level lower than 5.5 puts a person at risk for tooth erosion, which is a process that wears away the enamel (or protective outside layer) of teeth. ‘The higher the pH level is above 5.5, the lower the chance of developing cavities,’ said the lead author of the study. The subjects were assigned into groups randomly.
Researchers instructed the first group to eat cheddar cheese, the second group to drink milk, and the third group to eat sugar-free yogurt. Each group consumed their product for three minutes and then swished with water. Researchers measured the pH level of each subject’s mouth at 10, 20, and 30 minutes after consumption.
The groups who consumed milk and sugar-free yogurt experienced no changes in the pH levels in their mouths. Subjects who ate cheese, however, showed a rapid increase in pH levels at each time interval, suggesting that cheese has anti-cavity properties.
The study indicated that the rising pH levels from eating cheese may have occurred due to increased saliva production (the mouth’s natural way to maintain a baseline acidity level), which could be caused by the action of chewing. Additionally, various compounds found in cheese may adhere to tooth enamel and help further protect teeth from acid.
What are the health benefits of cheese and other milk products?
These milk products are rich in calcium which is particularly important during childhood because they can help make your bones stronger. A study also found that people who consume low-fat milk and cheese are less likely to suffer from stroke.
Tips to prevent cavities
Your tooth is one of the hardest parts of your body. But that doesn’t make it resistant to bacterial attack. Cavity causing species of bacteria convert the sugar from the food we eat into acids which demineralise and destruct the enamel of the tooth to create cavities in them. Luckily, preventing tooth cavities is equally easy.
A pH level lower than 5.5 puts a person at risk for tooth erosion, which is a process that wears away the enamel (or protective outside layer) of teeth. ‘The higher the pH level is above 5.5, the lower the chance of developing cavities,’ said the lead author of the study. The subjects were assigned into groups randomly.
Researchers instructed the first group to eat cheddar cheese, the second group to drink milk, and the third group to eat sugar-free yogurt. Each group consumed their product for three minutes and then swished with water. Researchers measured the pH level of each subject’s mouth at 10, 20, and 30 minutes after consumption.
The groups who consumed milk and sugar-free yogurt experienced no changes in the pH levels in their mouths. Subjects who ate cheese, however, showed a rapid increase in pH levels at each time interval, suggesting that cheese has anti-cavity properties.
The study indicated that the rising pH levels from eating cheese may have occurred due to increased saliva production (the mouth’s natural way to maintain a baseline acidity level), which could be caused by the action of chewing. Additionally, various compounds found in cheese may adhere to tooth enamel and help further protect teeth from acid.
What are the health benefits of cheese and other milk products?
These milk products are rich in calcium which is particularly important during childhood because they can help make your bones stronger. A study also found that people who consume low-fat milk and cheese are less likely to suffer from stroke.
Tips to prevent cavities
Your tooth is one of the hardest parts of your body. But that doesn’t make it resistant to bacterial attack. Cavity causing species of bacteria convert the sugar from the food we eat into acids which demineralise and destruct the enamel of the tooth to create cavities in them. Luckily, preventing tooth cavities is equally easy.