Whether or not chocolate bad for our teeth is a question dentists are asked quite often.
This is something people of all age groups are interested to know about, since chocolate is an indulgence for us all.
The answer to this question has two sides – YES and NO. We know chocolate is bad for our teeth, but not all of them. There are some types of chocolate which are actually helpful rather than harmful.
In fact, some studies have established benefits of consuming chocolate. There is already positive data confirming benefits to the overall health in general, and oral health in particular, when a particular type of chocolate is eaten.
Studies in the past have proved how eating chocolate is good for brain and heart. Some of those even conclude that, those who eat it regularly perform well in cognitive tests in comparison to those who don’t. But yes, there is a catch – not all types are going to benefit your dental health.
When chocolate is not bad for your teeth
Before digging deep into why chocolate is not bad for your teeth, it’d be more helpful to know their types and then come to terms with the explanation.
As you might know, there are basically three types of chocolate – dark, milk and white. Out of the three, the dark variety is something not harmful for your overall health. The same can’t be said about the other two types.
Since not all chocolate is created equal, you must know what makes the dark ones do what they do for your teeth. They are basically chocolates enriched with a variety of minerals and other essential ingredients including iron, fiber, magnesium, copper and manganese.
- Dark chocolates do less harm than those sticky or chewy candies due to less amount of sugar
- They will dissolve quickly in your mouth and hence, spend less time in your mouth
- The sugar in dark chocolates does not stick to the teeth as long as it does with other types
- They are also a source of antioxidants able to protect the body from the damages of free radicals
- The ingredients found in dark chocolates can also reduce blood pressure
- They can lower the risk of cardiovascular disease
- Although dark chocolates can be beneficial you should not eat them more often due to sugar content
- A greater oral care becomes the need when you eat more of dark chocolates on a regular basis
- Those who eat chocolates should brush twice a day, floss and clean tongue on a regular basis
When chocolate is bad for your teeth
Well, dentists often advise parents to keep their kids away from chocolate. They are not wrong as anything rich in sugar is always a risk to teeth. Since they are high in sugar content, risk to tooth decay is always greater with them.
But yes, eating chocolate occasionally is not going to cost you dear and you can even minimize whatever minimum risks by following proper oral care routine. This is how you can stop bacteria from sticking to your teeth and posing cavity and tooth decay risks.
- Milk and white chocolate are harmful for your teeth due to their richness of sugar and protein content
- Any chocolate with high sugar content is bound to pose risk to your teeth due to inviting bacteria onto teeth
- Eating sugar-rich chocolate and not giving proper care to oral care is a sure sign to invite cavity and tooth decay
In overall, you can understand how being restrained with chocolate is the way forward. For those who have damaged or decayed teeth, there are affordable dental implants to benefit and restore you dental charms.