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A wedge of cheese is great with a slice of warm apple pie...and that same piece of cheese can help to fight off the harmful acids that thrive in your mouth when you consume sugars and simple starches. Additionally, research has suggested that eating that piece of cheese may help your tooth enamel form a protective shield, making it resistant to the corrosive effects of decay-causing acids.
Cheeses such as aged cheddar, Swiss, mozzarella and Monterey jack contain a protein called casein. Researcher Dr. Judy Buttriss, director for the British Nutrition Foundation, believes that when this protein is broken down in the mouth, it binds with the calcium and phosphates in the cheese to fill in the tiny cracks in the enamel of your teeth, actually rebuilding and strengthening the tooth enamel by restoring the minerals within it. A strong enamel layer helps to protect teeth from the acids that form in your mouth whenever you munch on foods and beverages that contain simple starches, such as candy, dried fruit, sugar-sweetened drinks, white bread and crackers.
Eating cheese either before or after a meal or snack stimulates the production of saliva in your mouth, which helps to neutralize harmful acids and wash away the sugars and food debris that can cause plaque and cavities. And you don't have to eat a large slab of cheese to reap these benefits—all it takes is a small chunk about the size of a sugar cube. Research demonstrated that cooked cheese also provides this type of protection for your teeth.
Calcium-rich cheese also helps keep your jaw bones strong, making them more resistant to the destructive effects of periodontal (gum) disease. One serving of cheese has the same amount of calcium as an eight-ounce glass of milk. Concerned about the fat content of cheese? Low-fat options are available! And the calcium, protein, phosphorus and vitamin A in cheese also help to strengthen your teeth from the inside out.
Ahh, the power of cheese!
Sources -
The Academy of General Dentistry
The United States Department of Agriculture