Milk and Oral Health (The health promoting and preventive effect of dairy products in relation to oral health in general and periodontitis in particular): Mælk og Oral Sundhed (Danske mejeriprodukters sundhedsfremmende og forebyggende effect i relation til oral sundhed generelt og parodontose i særdeleshed)

Research output: Book/ReportCommissioned report

Abstract

Dental diseases are common and almost every individual has had an incidence of caries, gingivitis or periodontitis. These conditions can progress to tooth loss, which has a major impact on the wellbeing of individuals. Dental diseases are chronic conditions that may be preventable by healthy diet. However, only recently attention has been given to research on nutritional determinants of
dental diseases. The aim of this project is to investigate the effect of dairy products intake on general dental health, such as periodontitis and tooth loss among adults and elderly in Denmark. Two studies were included in this project with the common denominator of dietary assessment and oral examination.
MONICA: 432 Danish adults (30-60 y) with information on calcium intake in 1982/83 and tooth loss from 1987/88 to 1993/94.
The Copenhagen Oral Health Senior Study (COHSS): 684 individuals (out of 733) aged 65+ years with complete data on dietary intake, caries examination and oral microflora profile and 172 individuals with complete data on periodontal examination.
MONICA: Among men, dairy calcium intake was significantly associated with a reduced risk of tooth loss (IRR = 0.61; 95%CI= 0.44 – 0.88) even after adjustment for wide range of confounders. Among women, diary calcium was not statistically associated with tooth loss in the crude and adjusted models. However, the association became highly significant once Lactobacillus count was included in the model (IRR= 0.55; 95%CI= 0.34 – 0.87). Non-dairy calcium was not associated with tooth loss among men and women in the fully adjusted models.
COHSS: In both men and women intakes of milk (IRR = 0.96; 95%CI = 0.93 – 0.99) and fermented foods (IRR = 0.93; 95%CI = 0.88 – 0.98) were inversely associated with periodontal disease. Intakes of cheese and other dairy products were not associated with periodontitis.
Conclusion: Dietary calcium intake, particularly calcium from dairy products, seems to protect against loss of teeth and periodontitis among adult men and women.
Original languageDanish
PublisherMejeribrugets ForskningsFond
Commissioning bodyThe Danish Dairy Research Foundation
Number of pages12
Publication statusPublished - Apr 2012

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