I've been reading a few anecdotal cases about how probiotics relate to oral health. A number of people have experimented with chewing probiotics before swallowing them. The idea is that this provides good bacteria to the mouth, which could improve oral health.
I found this interesting study that looked at fiber intake and oral health. It shows that people who consumed a bit more dietary fiber had better oral health. Could this be due to the actual chewing of the fibrous carbohydrates which increases the bacteria in the mouth? It seems plausible to me.
Obviously, poor dental health is affected by the high-sugar, high-glycemic load modern diet. Still, I wonder if the subtraction of vegetables is not a factor as well.
Also, this new study shows that the consumption of vegetables was negatively related to periodontal disease in the elderly.
