Is it true that chewing a piece of cheese after meals can help prevent tooth decay?
Yes, a small piece of cheese eaten after meals is enough to have a positive effect on the teeth. The argument that cheese is great for teeth was strengthened in 1999 by a Task Force report from the British Nutrition Foundation. The report – called ‘Oral Health: Diet and Other Factors’ – concluded that finishing a meal with cheese is proven to protect against tooth decay. This is supported by the British Dental Health Foundation. There are several reasons for this. Chewing hard cheese is thought to increase the amount of saliva in the mouth, helping to neutralise the acid and wash it away. The calcium and phosphorous content of cheese may also help by replacing some of the minerals in tooth enamel – the protective coating on teeth – and further strengthening them. Finally, it is also thought that cheese prevents the bacteria on the tooth’s surface turning sugar into acids that then attack and damage the enamel.
