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Aim: To evaluate the longitudinal association between yogurt product intake and oral health in a population‐based study. Materials and Methods: This study included 1967 Japanese residents aged 40–79 years who underwent dental examinations in 2012. Among them, 1469 participants were followed up in 2017 for the incidence of tooth loss, which was defined as two or more teeth lost over 5 years. The intake of yogurt products, defined as yogurt and lactic acid beverages, was estimated using a semi‐quantitative food frequency questionnaire. The composition of the salivary microbiota was evaluated. Results: The Poisson regression model showed that a higher intake of yogurt products was negatively associated with the incidence of tooth loss (p for trend =.020), adjusted for potential confounding factors. Mediation analysis confirmed that periodontal condition partly mediated the effect of yogurt product intake on tooth loss, while dental caries experience did not. Additionally, we confirmed the association of a high intake of yogurt products with a low percentage of the salivary microbiota pattern, which was associated with poor oral health. Conclusion: These findings suggest that the intake of yogurt products is associated with a lower risk of tooth loss resulting from periodontal disease, probably via modulation of the oral microbiome composition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: In vitro studies show that milk or milk components may have cariostatic properties. However, the results of epidemiological studies on the association between intake of dairy products and dental caries have been inconsistent. The purpose of this cross-sectional study was to examine the association between intake of dairy products and the prevalence of dental caries in young children.Methods: Study subjects were 2058 Japanese children aged 3 years. Information on diet was assessed with a self-administered brief diet history questionnaire for children. The consumption of dairy products was categorized into 3 levels in order to represent the tertiles as closely as possible. Dental caries was assessed by a visual examination. Adjustment was made for sex, toothbrushing frequency, use of fluoride, between-meal snack frequency, maternal smoking during pregnancy, environmental tobacco smoke exposure at home, and paternal and maternal educational levels.Results: Compared with yogurt consumption at the lowest tertile (<1 time/week), its intake at the highest level (> or =4 times/week) was significantly associated with a lower prevalence of dental caries, showing a clear dose-response relationship (adjusted prevalence ratio=0.78, 95% confidence interval: 0.62-0.98, P for trend=0.04). There were no material associations between intake of cheese, bread and butter, or milk and the prevalence of dental caries.Conclusions: These data suggest that a high consumption of yogurt may be associated with a lower prevalence of dental caries in young children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]