Anticariogenic Effects of the Dairy Products on Human Saliva: An In Vivo Study

The aim of this study was to determine whether the intake of cheese, paneer, and yogurt may help in reversing the acidogenic challenge after the consumption of chocolate at different time intervals.

A total of 120 caries-free children between the ages of 4 and 13 years, with no decayed, missing, and filled teeth (DMFT), were randomly selected from the school. Baseline pH was obtained, and the subjects were asked to eat chocolate. pH was measured again after 10 minutes. Following chocolate exposure, the subjects were then randomly assigned to three groups-cheese, paneer, and yogurt. Salivary pH was measured at intervals of 15, 30, and 60 minutes using the same procedures for all subjects. The data thus obtained were subjected to statistical analysis, which included analysis of variance (ANOVA) test, post hoc tests for multiple comparisons using Tukey's test, and paired t-test.

The highest pH value after 15 minutes was seen in cheese (6.43), followed by paneer (6.31) and yogurt (6.30). After 30 minutes, the maximum pH value was seen in the cheese group (6.63), followed by yogurt (6.46) and paneer (6.34). The mean pH value 60 minutes after the consumption of dairy products was highest in paneer (6.53), followed by cheese (6.43) and yogurt (6.37).

All the categories were observed in the zone of remineralization. It should be noted that the maximum pH value overall was seen in the cheese group.

Dairy products help maintain salivary pH, which aids in improving enamel health. Hence, dietary dairy recommendations can be incorporated into patient education and caries prevention plans.

Gautam Y, Srivastava M, Verma P, et al. Anticariogenic Effects of the Dairy Products on Human Saliva: An In Vivo Study. Int J Clin Pediatr Dent 2024;17(4):456-460.