will highlight the study to give food for thought to soy milk consumers.

The Petri Dish in Your Mouth

Bacterium constantly populate your mouth by the hundreds. Particular strains can mingle with acid and food debris to create a sticky biofilm known as plaque. When plaque coats your teeth, a healthy mouth can combat at least some of the detrimental effects with salivary production and the barrier of tooth enamel. However, the more sugar or refined carbohydrates you eat, the more lactic acid the oral bacteria can produce, thereby weakening your tooth enamel and opening your teeth up for a barrage of decay. Cow’s milk is inherently fortified with high volumes of phosphate and calcium. These minerals help to keep teeth strong. Remineralization of weakened enamel is thought to be more likely with a regular diet of low-fat dairy products that naturally neutralize acids and help your teeth to remain impervious to bacterial attacks.

Bacterial Reaction

The study at UM’s Dental School was led by Eric Reynolds who guided his research team in testing soy milk’s benefits when it comes to dental health. The experiment involved mixing the tooth decay causing bacteria called Streptococcus mutans with soy milk. Milk products derived from soy beans (known in Japan as edamame) exhibited significantly higher acid content only ten short minutes after having contact with bacteria. Cow’s milk did not have the same reaction. Further study will be necessary to make a definitive claim that soy milk products are dangerous to the health of your teeth, but the study data is certainly compelling.

Dental Checkups from Corona Dentists

If you are concerned with your dental health, your dentists in Corona would be happy to answer your questions at your next dental checkup. Contact our 92879 dental office by calling (951) 273-9580. We serve patients in the 92879 area and surrounding communities.