Contrary to common sense: chocolate is good for your teeth

Chocolate can be good for your teeth! Yes, you read that right, chocolate can prevent tooth decay. However, not every type of chocolate is a dental dynamite. Cocoa beans are the ones that contain the goodies – not the chocolate itself – so the closer the candy is to the bean, the better.

Not all chocolate is created equal

Cocoa beans contain tannins, polyphenols, and flavonoids, each of which is a powerful antioxidant that benefits the mouth and teeth. Tannins are what give dark chocolate a slightly bitter taste and are responsible for dark dessert pigments. Most importantly, it helps prevent tooth decay by preventing bacteria from sticking to your teeth. Polyphenols limit the effects of bacteria, which means they inhibit microorganisms that cause bad breath, prevent gum infections and fight tooth decay. Flavonoids slow down tooth decay, among other things.

Of the three types of chocolate (dark chocolate, milk chocolate and white chocolate), dark chocolate is the least processed and closest to a cocoa bean, making it the healthiest choice of the three. For best results, chocolate should contain about 70 percent cocoa. Hershey's Extra Dark Chocolate contains 60% cocoa, so it's a very good choice, but Ghirardelli's Twilight Delight is a 72% better choice. Other bars are more useful, such as Ghirardelli's Midnight Reverie and Lindt's Cocoa Supreme Dark, which contain 86 and 90 percent cocoa, respectively. You should be able to find the right dark chocolate for teeth at your local grocery store, and many varieties clearly declare their cocoa percentage on the label. In case you need another feature, dark chocolate contains less sugar than other varieties, so it's slightly better for your waistline too.

The benefits of dark chocolate for dental health

How is dark chocolate good for your teeth? There are bacteria in your mouth called oral streptococci, which produce acid that erodes tooth enamel. The antioxidants in dark chocolate prevent bacteria from turning into harmful acids by acting as a kind of antibacterial compound. Cocoa butter also covers your teeth and prevents plaque from sticking to them.

Since chocolate contains a lot of antioxidants (about four times as much as green tea), it not only inhibits the production of plaque, but also reduces inflammation in the body and works to prevent gum disease, the symptoms of which are swollen gums. Bacteria associated with gum disease can also enter the bloodstream and cause heart disease and other cardiovascular problems, so eating dark chocolate periodically is good for your heart health as well.

Is milk chocolate bad for your teeth?

Milk chocolate is probably one of the most popular and widely consumed types of chocolate. Unfortunately, they are not good for your teeth. Why is that? The answer is simple. Milk chocolate contains more sugar than its dark chocolate counterparts and much more than raw and unprocessed chocolate.

Milk chocolate is chocolate made from a mixture of cocoa, powdered milk and sugar. The division is usually 20-30% real cocoa, the rest consists of sugar and powdered milk. The high sugar content in milk chocolate can cause more tooth decay and erosion than dark, raw or organic chocolate.

Here are the breakdown of the sugar content of some of your favorite chocolate varieties according to the USDA:

White chocolate: 17 grams per ounce

Milk chocolate: 15 grams per ounce

Dark chocolate: 14 grams per ounce

The numbers are not very different but over time the differences can affect your teeth, leading to tooth decay, tooth erosion, and more.

However, it's important to remember that eating a piece of dark chocolate isn't the same as eating a plate of vegetables. It has some important health benefits, but it is far from healthy food. Like any dessert, dark chocolate should be consumed in moderation. They still contain ample amounts of sugar and fat, and each comes with its own set of health problems. Also, like all types of chocolate, dark chocolate is not low in calories. The recommended intake is 1 ounce per day. However, even this small amount contains up to 150 calories, and since it tastes so delicious, it's hard not to indulge in it.

So, put your hands (and teeth) on some dark chocolate today to enjoy what is arguably the most delicious and still useful food on the planet. Just remember to practice controlling the number of servings you eat so that the health risks associated with expanding your waist circumference don't overshadow the benefits of your pearly whites.