Milk

Despite the fact that one of the main sources of sugar in the diet of small children, normal consumption of milk does not cause dental caries; and feedback between the consumption of milk and caries increment not reported. Cow's milk contains lactose, which is less acidogenic than other mono-and disaccharides, and also contains calcium, phosphorus, as well as casein, all of which are cariostatic. Calcium and phosphate in cow's milk in high concentrations (125 mg/100 ml of 96 mg/100 g, respectively) and are able to prevent demineralization of enamel. Experiments on animals and in vitro studies have shown that phosphopeptide, casein, can protect from the demineralization; however, casein and unpleasant for the person and its practical value may be limited.

Several studies have shown that fall plaque pH following milk consumption slightly. Plaque pH study on volunteers, who compared the acidogenic potential of cow's milk and human milk with 7% solutions of lactose and sucrose showed that sucrose caused a significant decrease plaque pH how milks depression pH only slightly and lactose decreased pH to a much lesser extent than sucrose.

In enamel plate experiments, milk has been shown to produce less enamel dissolution compared with lactose, sucrose or solution.

Such experiments have also shown milk to reduce cari-ogenic potential of sugar-containing products. There is some evidence from animal studies that adding milk in cariogenic diet reduces the prevalence of dental caries. In addition, in experiments where rats were their salivary glands removed, making them caries lying, they remained more or less caries-free feeding of milk, compared with those fed sucrose and lactose in the water. From this it was concluded that milk can be safely used in patients with low salivary flow saliva substitute.

Compared to cow's milk, breast milk lactose (about 7% compared to 4-5%) and reduce the concentration of calcium and phosphate (34mg and 15 mg/100 g, respectively)and, in theory, can be more cariogenic. However, epidemiological studies, in General, associated breastfeeding with low level of development of caries. To what extent is secondary in relation to the socio-economic status and the consumption of other sources of sugars unknown. Breastfeeding provides no possibility to add more sugar milk, feeding infants, are probably less likely to use baby bottles containing sweet liquid. There have been several reported cases of severe tooth decay, is associated with prolonged (usually within 2 years), on-demand breastfeeding, often with breastfeeding of infants during the night, when the protection of saliva is low.