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Shiitake Mushrooms Can Prevent Dental Caries

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Mahak Arya*

* Internee, Yamuna Institute of Dental Sciences and Research, Yamuna Nagar, Haryana – India

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Dental caries is a multifactorial microbial infectious disease characterized by softening of hard tissue of the tooth and resulting in discolouration and cavity formation in the tooth. It has been reported that dental caries affects 60–90% of schoolchildren and the vast majority of adults and is the most prevalent oral disease worldwide. The treatment of the consequences of dental caries is time consuming and expensive, and the costs of medical and dental services are constantly rising making it obvious that dental caries cannot be managed by the treatment alone. The problem can be reduced to manageable proportions only by preventive measures aimed at decreasing the prevalence of the disease.

A recent study made on the consumption of mushrooms concluded that increasing the consumption of caries preventive food particularly Shiitake mushrooms can prevent the development of dental caries. This study found that shiitake mushroom ‘Lentinula edodes’ have antimicrobial activity. It has erythritol, copalic acid, adenosine, carvacrol, and many more as biological active compounds. In the study it has been found that shiitake mushroom has anticariogenic effect. Apart from these benefits, it has tremendous potential to be used as an antioxidant, anticancer, antigingivitis, antifungal, and antiviral agent.

References

Avinash J., et al., 2016, “The unexplored anticaries potential of shiitake mushroom,” Pharmacognosy reviews; 10(20): 100-104. [Web Reference]

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