The Natural Dentist: Preventing Kids’ Cavities
Here’s a simple, natural way to prevent cavities in your kids.
Taking probiotics prevents cavities (Curr Pharm Des 2012;18:5522-31). Several studies have shown that children who supplement probiotics have less cavities.
A double-blind study of children found that probiotics taken for 7 months reduced cavities by 49% compared to placebo (Caries Res 2001;35:412-420). In a double-blind study of children aged 1-6, supplementation with probiotics for 7 months reduced the incidence of cavities by 49% (Caries Res
2001;35:412-420).
And it seems that you can never start too soon. Supplementing probiotics during the last
month of pregnancy and continuing to give the probiotics to infants for the first year results in significantly fewer kids with cavities at 9 years of age (Caries Res. 2014;48:111–7).
Now two new meta-analyses and systematic reviews have firmly established the benefits of probiotics for your kids.
The first, including 43 controlled studies, demonstrated that giving kids probiotics significantly reduced cavities (Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr. 2022 May 24;1-18).
The most recent included 17 controlled studies of probiotics and preschool children. It found that giving probiotics to kids reduces both the incidence and progression of cavities (J Clin Pediatr Dent. 2023 Mar ;47(2):85-100).
This large body of research suggests another good reason to give your kids probiotics: they just might get fewer cavities.
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The Natural Path is intended for educational purposes only and is in no way intended for self-diagnosis or self-treatment. For health problems, consult a qualified health practitioner for a comprehensive program.
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