Scientists from Kyushu University and other institutions have found that higher yogurt intake is linked to a lower risk of tooth loss.
The study was conducted by Jiele Ma and colleagues and published in The Journal of Clinical Periodontology.
Tooth loss occurs when one or more teeth loosen and fall out. While this is normal for baby teeth, losing adult teeth is undesirable and usually results from injury, decay, or disease.
One of the most common causes is periodontitis—a serious gum infection that damages the soft tissue and, if untreated, can destroy the bone supporting the teeth.
Periodontitis can lead to loose teeth and eventual tooth loss, but it is largely preventable with proper oral care.
In this study, researchers evaluated the long-term relationship between yogurt intake and oral health.
They examined 1,967 Japanese adults aged 40–79 years who received dental examinations in 2012.
Of these, 1,469 participants were re-evaluated in 2017 to assess tooth loss, which was defined as losing two or more teeth over the five-year period.
Participants’ intake of yogurt products, including yogurt and lactic acid beverages, was assessed using a food questionnaire. The researchers also analyzed participants’ salivary microbiota to explore possible biological mechanisms.
The results showed that people who consumed more yogurt products had a lower risk of tooth loss. The protective effect was partly influenced by the presence and severity of gum disease, but not by prior experiences of dental caries (tooth decay).
The study further found that higher yogurt intake was associated with a healthier salivary microbiota profile, characterized by a lower proportion of bacterial patterns linked to poor oral health.
