From an early age, we are encouraged to drink our milk. To the inevitable question “why” comes the response “it’s good for you because it builds strong bones and teeth.” The same holds true for the other members of the milk family – yogurt, kefir and cheese. Milk and milk products are also good sources of protein, and so most nutrition programs suggest several portions of milk or milk products per day, more for young, growing children or pregnant or breast feeding mothers.
All products that are derived from milk are good sources of calcium which is an essential nutrient for the development of bones and teeth. Eating cheese results in a coating of calcium on the teeth that helps protect against caries. Eating a cube of cheese can increase plaque-calcium concentration by up to 112%, helping to harden teeth and discourage softening which leads to caries. It appears that cheese also prevents demineralization and, at the same time, encourages remineralization of the tooth. This is true whether the cheese is eaten raw or has been cooked.
But it turns out that eating cheese may be good for your teeth in several ways. Eating cheese may help reduce the incidence of cavities. When food is eaten, the pH often drops – the mouth becomes more acidic. Teeth are very sensitive to acid and it appears that eating cheese helps maintain a pH level in the mouth that is safe for teeth. Under experimental conditions, it was shown that the pH drop following consumption of a 10% sugar solution was 4.26, but when the sugar solution was eaten after cheese, the pH dropped to only 6.48.
Aged cheddar, Swiss, blue, Monterey Jack, brie, Gouda, and processed American cheese all have been shown to reduce dental caries.
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