Comparison of Salivary pH Changes in Children Aged 6-12 Years Following the Consumption of Plain, Probiotic, and Fruit Yoghurt: A Randomized Clinical Trial

Objectives :

Tooth decay is a common disease of childhood. If the pH level in the mouth repeatedly falls below 5.5 for an extended period of time, dental demineralization can eventually result in tooth decay or caries. Yoghurtis a fermented milk product that is consumed all over the world. In this study, we aimed to compare salivary pH changes in childrenaged 6-12 years following the consumption of plain, probiotic, and fruit yoghurt.

Methods:

 A total of 51 children were randomly allocated into three groups of 17 people. On the day of the experiment, a sample of primary non-stimulating saliva was obtained from each participant one hour after breakfast. Next, the participants were given 10 cc of selected yoghurt, including peach, probiotic, and plain yoghurt, all of which were produced by the same company. After 10 minutes, another salivary sample was obtained from each participant. The pH of both samples was calculated using a measuring device, and the difference between the two measurements was considered as the amountof pH change. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) and paired t-test were used for between-and within-group comparisons, respectively.

Results :

There was a significant difference in the salivary pH level, based on the within-group comparison of peach and probiotic yoghurt groups (P=0.001), while no significant difference was found in the plain yoghurt group (P=0.366). Also, according to the between-group comparisons, significant differences were found between the peach and probiotic yoghurt groups (P=0.001) and also between the peach and plain yoghurt groups (P=0.001) in both comparison, peach group showed more decrease in pH level.

Conclusion :

Both fruit yoghurtand probiotic yoghurtcan temporarily reduce the salivary pH levels. However, due to the lower critical point of demineralization, there are no concerns about the development of dental caries.