Elderly people that eat cheese several times per week had a lower incidence of root caries. Which food is associated with this reduction?

Elderly people that eat cheese several times per week had a lower incidence of root caries. Which food is associated with this reduction?

• A. Cheese
• B. Bread
• C. Fruit juice
• D. Milk

Answer: (A)

Eating cheese helps protect exposed root surfaces by two key actions: it temporarily raises the pH in the mouth after a sugary or acidic exposure, and it provides calcium and phosphate that support remineralization. This buffering of acids and supply of minerals makes the dentin and cementum of roots less susceptible to demineralization, which is why elderly people who eat cheese regularly show fewer root caries. Bread mainly supplies starch that can be fermented into acids and doesn’t offer the same buffering or mineral benefits. Fruit juice is acidic and tends to lower pH, promoting demineralization rather than preventing it. Milk does provide calcium and phosphate, but the specific combination of post-meal buffering plus mineral delivery that cheese offers is what aligns with the observed reduction in root caries.

Eating cheese helps protect exposed root surfaces by two key actions: it temporarily raises the pH in the mouth after a sugary or acidic exposure, and it provides calcium and phosphate that support remineralization. This buffering of acids and supply of minerals makes the dentin and cementum of roots less susceptible to demineralization, which is why elderly people who eat cheese regularly show fewer root caries.

Bread mainly supplies starch that can be fermented into acids and doesn’t offer the same buffering or mineral benefits. Fruit juice is acidic and tends to lower pH, promoting demineralization rather than preventing it. Milk does provide calcium and phosphate, but the specific combination of post-meal buffering plus mineral delivery that cheese offers is what aligns with the observed reduction in root caries.