Study Claims That Yogurt Reduces Children’s Tooth Decay

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A new study claims that children who eat yogurt regularly have a reduced risk of tooth decay development.

Japanese researchers have recently suggested that 3 year old children who eat yogurt 4 times each week reduced their chances of the development of a cavity by as much as 22% as compared to children of the same age who had eaten yogurt less than once a week.

Their findings, which were made public in the Journal of Dentistry, were the result of a study that was conducted to investigate claims that were made earlier that dairy foods in general could reduce cavities in children.

Some scientists think that the reason that yogurt works is because the proteins that yogurt contains binds itself to the surface of teeth and seals them from attack by harmful acids.

The research was accomplished by experts at the University of Tokyo and Fukuoka University who examined the relationship between the prevalence of dental cavities in children and the intake of dairy products.

Their conclusion suggested that the higher consumption of yogurt is probably related to a lower occurrence of dental cavities in young children.

Their study suggests that milk components or milk may have cariostatic properties but the results of epidemiological studies on the relationship between dental cavities and the intake of dairy products has been inconsistent.

The study was conducted on over 2,000 Japanese children who were 3 years old and the information about their diet was assessed via a brief diet history that was self administered.

A visual examination was conducted to assess the dental cavities.

There was an adjustment that was made for maternal and paternal educational levels, environmental tobacco smoke at home, frequency of between meal snacks, use of fluoride, frequency to tooth brushing, and sex.

The study suggested that compared to the consumption of yogurt at the lower level and its intake at the higher level, the yogurt was significantly related to a lower occurrence of dental cavities, which showed a clear dose response relationship.

There were no material relationships between the intake of milk, butter, bread, or cheese and the prevalence of dental cavities.