Want a great smile? Brushing and flossing will help, sure, but—here’s the shocker—so could nibbling on some cheddar. Eating cheese may help prevent cavities, according to a new study published in the journal General Dentistry.
Researchers in India asked a group of 68 healthy participants not to brush their teeth for 48 hours so that enough plaque could build up for their testing purposes. After that period, they measured the acidity of participants’ mouths (the lower the pH, the easier it is for tooth enamel to dissolve and for cavities to form), and then divided each of them into one of four groups: One that ate about two teaspoons’ worth of cheddar cheese, one that had about a tablespoon of milk, one that ate about two teaspoons’ worth of yogurt, or one that chewed on paraffin wax—which worked as a control—so that researchers could see how each item affected pH levels.
Of the three dairy products and the control, cheese had the best outcome: Not only did it quickly boost pH levels, but it also helped participants maintain a higher pH even 30 minutes after they ate. A pH of around 7 is the neutral environment your teeth need to stay healthy, and eating cheese boosted it to an average of 6.8 in the experiment, whereas milk resulted in a pH of 6.3 and yogurt resulted in a pH of 5.6. This is in line with previous research that has also suggested cheese can help fight cavities.
Why? Nibbling on cheese stimulates more saliva production than the other items tested, says Gigi Meinecke, Doctor of Dental Medicine, spokesperson for the Academy of General Dentistry, essentially rinsing your teeth in a solution that’s neutral. Plus, cheese is high in calcium and phosphorus—both of which can help raise pH to a healthy level.
But before you celebrate with a giant serving of mac and cheese, know this: what kind of cheese you eat—and how it’s served—matters when it comes to your oral health. Softer cheeses (sorry, Brie lovers!) probably won’t have the same benefits as hard cheeses like cheddar or Parmesan, says Meinecke. And since carbs have been shown to lower your pH, mixing the two probably won’t result in the same neutralizing benefits as eating cheese on its own. So if you’re looking to protect your chompers, consider this your green light to order the cheese plate after dinner—so long as you’re choosy about which cheeses you nosh on.
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The Cure for Sensitive Teeth
How Your Menstrual Cycle Affects Your Mouth
How Clean Teeth Keep You Healthy