Why yogurt is good for your gums

Want healthy gums? Load up on yogurt! In this Health Smarts video, Robin Miller, MD, explains how probiotics in yogurt help prevent gum disease for better oral health.

Transcript

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Healthy bacteria found in yogurt and other probiotic treats helps keep the bad bacteria in your mouth in check, including the kind that

00:07

promote periodontal disease. But be careful, some varieties of yogurt contain a lot of sugar.

00:22

Pop quiz, what super food in your fridge is also great for a healthy mouth? Hi, I'm Dr. Miller. And the answer is yogurt.

00:30

A recent study revealed that people who regularly ate yogurt were significantly less likely to have gum disease compared

00:36

with people who never ate it at all. In this study, researchers performed dental exams on roughly 1,000 middle-aged and older people

00:43

and also asked them questions about their eating habits. The people who consumed the most yogurt or lactic-acid rich probiotic drinks

00:50

have the lowest risk of periodontal disease. The reason, healthy bacteria found in yogurt and other probiotic treats

00:58

helps keep the bad bacteria in your mouth in check, including the kind that promote periodontal disease. But be careful, some varieties of yogurt

01:06

contain a lot of sugar. Choose low-sugar flavors or choose plain yogurt and add fresh fruit or honey to sweeten.

01:13

So for a healthy mouth, open wide and have a serving of yogurt check out all our smart tips right here.