Cheese, A saviour from dental problems.

       Foods rich in calcium and phosphorus can protect tooth enamel and even help replace minerals in teeth (a process called remineralization). Low-fat cheese and plain nonfat yogurt are classic calcium-rich choices. Cheese is especially beneficial because it contains casein, a protein found in milk products that can shore up enamel. 

  Cheese is another saliva maker. The calcium in cheese, and the calcium and phosphates in milk and other dairy products, help put back minerals your teeth might have lost due to other foods.

Cheese which has to be avoided

With added sugars and reduced cheese content, processed cheese products can wear down your enamel, increasing your chances for cavities. so, avoid having pre packaged cheese dips, etc.

Benefits of cheese

    It's found that eating cheese increased production of alkaline saliva. Also , it was found that chewing cheese created a protective layer around teeth which kept remaining acid at bay.

    The research, carried out by the Academy of General Dentistry in the U.S., divided 68 children aged between 12 and 15 into three groups. One group was asked to consume a daily portion of cheddar, another a sugar-free yogurt, and another a glass of milk, followed by a mouth rinse. pH levels on their dental plaque were measured both before the test and then ten minutes, 20 minutes and half an hour afterwards.

    Those who ate the yogurt or drank the milk showed no changes to the pH levels in their mouths at any of the intervals. But those who ate the cheese showed a 'rapid' increase in pH level at each of the time intervals.

The researchers believe that eating cheese increases the amount of saliva in the mouth which is the body's natural way of maintaining a healthy pH level. Added to this, cheese releases chemical compounds that can form a protective layer on teeth which further protects it against the acids that attack enamel. The groups who consumed milk and sugar-free yogurt experienced no changes in the pH levels in their mouths. The group  who ate cheese, however, showed a rapid increase in pH levels at each time interval, suggesting that cheese has anti-cavity properties.

The results were published in the journal General Dentistry.

So, enjoy saying "cheese" by eating "cheese".

Keep Smiling.:)