Abstract
Milk and dairy products have a low cariogenic potential, but they are also claimed to be cariostatic. Thus, bovine milk and cheese provide protection against caries in rats and in situ, even in caries-susceptible conditions. The mechanisms involve several milk components and effects. Caseins and peptides thereof, i.e. casein glycomacropeptide (CGMP) and casein phosphopeptide (CPP), reduce the adhesion of cariogenic mutans streptococci in situ and seem to reduce colonization in the rat. They block adhesion in solution (clearance), as well as when bound to tooth surfaces. CGMP binds to the tooth as micelle-like structures, which do not bind bacteria. CPP binds as minor complexes with calcium and phosphate, buffering calcium and phosphate when hydroxyapatite solubility increases by decreasing pH, and possibly explaining the acid-buffering effect from milk and cheese. Further, peptides in the whey fraction, i.e. proteose-peptones, provide protection against tooth tiss ue demineralization, and other milk peptides, such as kappacin (a k-casein-derived peptide), lactoferrin, lactoperoxidase and lysozyme, possess innate immunity-like functions. Using milk components as a caries-prophylactic measure has not been studied in humans, but epidemiological studies confirm associations between milk/cheese intake and protection against caries. However, the impact of possible confounders cannot yet be fully evaluated. Keywords: Cheese, dental caries, milk, peptides, S. mutans.
Highlights
Milk and dairy products have a low cariogenic potential, but they are claimed to be cariostatic
Association of milk and cheese with low caries development Milk and dairy products comprise a substantial part of the food consumed in Sweden [1], but even though overall mean intake is high substantial individual variations are seen in the population
The aim of the present review is to describe the state of the art of possible anticariogenic properties of milk and cheese
Summary
Milk and dairy products have a low cariogenic potential, but they are claimed to be cariostatic. I.e. casein glycomacropeptide (CGMP) and casein phosphopeptide (CPP), reduce the adhesion of cariogenic mutans streptococci in situ and seem to reduce colonization in the rat. They block adhesion in solution (clearance), as well as when bound to tooth surfaces. Several investigators have since con rmed that milk, cheese, caseins and whey proteins reduce caries development from sucrose even in highly susceptible rats, such as after desalivation [6,7,8,9] These results are supported by a large number of in situ studies, e.g. using enamel discs carried in the human mouth [10]. Using this model cheese even restores demineralized enamel in head- and neck-irradiated xerostomic patients [11]
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