Chocolate no longer needs to be your guilty secret. Dark chocolate, as it turns out, can help prevent tooth decay. Before you reach for that Dark Snicker’s bar, it’s important to understand the difference between cocoa (one key ingredient in chocolate) and all the other sugary stuff that goes into candies and desserts.
The cocoa tree is native to Brazil. Native cultures there were chewing on the beans as long as 5,300 years ago. The pulp of this chocolate fruit was fermented into an alcoholic drink, and the beans were even used as currency throughout Mesoamerica.
Cocoa beans are rich in polyphenols, flavonoids, and tannins. All three of these antioxidants benefit your teeth and oral health.
You may have heard about the health benefits of green tea. Well, like dark chocolate, tea contains polyphenols that reduce inflammation. Polyphenols also slow the growth of microbes, which can lead to better-smelling breath, among other oral health benefits.
Furthermore, a 2009 article published by the National Institutes of Health states that polyphenols may protect against oral cancer. Early research suggests that polyphenols may reduce the risk for developing gum disease and tooth decay, as well. Since gum disease is the leading cause of adult tooth loss in the United States, and only 1% of the population avoid cavities, the wonderful news is, dark chocolate might need to be a regular in your diet!
Flavonoids encompass a wide range of plant chemicals known as phytonutrients. The nutrients are partly responsible for the bold and diverse range of colors we see in fruits and vegetables. Beyond dark chocolate, kale, tea, grapes, citrus, and parsley are rich in flavonoids.
The Australian Dental Journal and other publications report that flavonoids can aid in the remineralization of dental enamel. This is big news! Demineralization is the first step toward getting a cavity, and remineralization counteracts it – so more dark chocolate could mean fewer cavities. Can I get a hell yeah?.
Tannins have antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties. Tannins also restrict blood vessels. This is one reason why patients are sometimes told to bite down on a tea bag to slow bleeding after a tooth extraction. Tea contains significant amounts of tannins. And guess what? Tannins are actually what give dark chocolate its bitter taste.
The higher the level of pure cocoa in a food, the greater the oral health benefits. Chocolate (as we know it in the United States) typically contains very little cocoa. To enjoy the most benefits from polyphenols, flavonoids, and tannins, you should look for very dark chocolate that is at least 70 percent cocoa. If you can find chocolate that is 80 or even 90 percent cocoa — even better!
Cheap chocolate products often contain loads of sugar that can negate the oral health benefits of cocoa. Dessert creams, caramel, marshmallow fillings, nougat, and other common chocolate bar ingredients only increase your risk for tooth decay.
Try to stay away from milk chocolate and white chocolate. Milk chocolate contains low concentrations of cocoa, while white chocolate only contains cocoa butter, which has no oral health benefits.
When you find concentrated dark chocolate, go easy on it. Bars with even 80 or 90 percent cocoa concentrations will come with a fair amount of sugar in many cases. Chocolate also tends to be high in calories. The old adage “everything in moderation” is your best bet when weighing the oral health benefits of dark chocolate against those extra calories
Chocolate is also a known mood elevator. It tends to make people smile.
Dr. Payam Asadi owns Advanced Family Dentistry in Tucson, where he provides general, restorative, and cosmetic dental care to patients of all ages. He holds degrees in both biochemistry and dentistry and is a member of the American Dental Association, Arizona Dental Association, and Spear Education. To reach Dr. Asadi, call his office at (520) 353-3002. Chocoholics welcome.
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