Milk and Its Products: Effect on Salivary pH

BACKGROUND: Dairy products are perceived to be important for one's overall and dental health. Dairy products have been identified as having anticariogenic activity due to the high content of calcium and phosphorous ions and casein phosphopeptides. AIM: To determine the pH levels of human saliva after consuming different dairy products. DESIGN: sixty students were divided into 2 groups (30 with caries and 30 caries free) aged 5-9 years, visited to department of paedodontics and preventive dentistry, who agreed to refrain from oral hygiene procedures for 24 hours were selected for this study. Both groups were further randomly sub-divided into 3 groups (milk, curd and paneer group). After determining baseline salivary pH using a digital pH meter, the subjects were asked to eat the test foods (milk 50ml, curd 50g and paneer 50 g) and salivary pH was measured at time intervals of 1, 5, 15 and 30 minutes. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: The results were statistically measured by using ANOVA test for intergroup and intragroup comparison. Significant decrease in pH was observed at various time intervals and more decrease was observed in caries active group.