How Does Chocolate Affect Your Teeth?

Chocolate has been a delight for thousands of years. Dark, milk and white chocolate come in a variety of flavours and presentations. These classic Valentine’s and Easter treats have a way of bringing people together and making every occasion even more joyous.

However, the consumption of chocolate among others added sugars in candy bars are prejudicial for health. This is no exception for oral health. Even children know that chocolate and sweets damage their teeth. Yet, adults, in general, do not understand the complete picture. Is chocolate that bad for teeth? The following article, will try to explain this.

Chocolate, as with other dark-coloured drinks and food, such as coffee or pop, stain your teeth if eaten daily. If you want these stains to fade, you might need to schedule several appointments for teeth whitening near you. However, balance and moderation are key to everything in life. Contrary to what any dentist in Yaletown might state, chocolate is not the complete villain. Chocolate can even improve your brain cognition and offer oral health benefits. Cocoa beans have natural properties that help to prevent plaque and other oral diseases.

The Sweetest Treat Is the Worst Nightmare

Manufacturers design different types of chocolate on the market to improve their flavour. Milk chocolate is one of the most popular and consumed types. Refined sugar, milk fat, and a slight amount of cocoa is the recipe for white and milk chocolate. These blends are a successful strategy to raise sales through these addictive treats. It fills them with numerous flavours, but is not a healthy choice for you or your teeth.

Tooth decay takes place after bacteria produce acids while eating sugary remains. Acid deteriorates the surface of teeth causing cavities and several other detrimental effects for oral health. If you suffer from tooth stains and discolouration, consider teeth whitening in Yaletown. 

Dark Chocolate

Any dentist near you will tell you to choose dark chocolate over milk or white. Dark chocolate is 70% cocoa and 30% milk and sugar. Over 300 other compounds turn dark chocolate into a complex substance. These elements surprisingly offer potential benefits for oral health. For instance, theobromine has shown great remineralization potential. This means it can help your teeth to repair minor lesions. Dark, raw chocolate is high on polyphenols. This has antibacterial properties comparable to mouth wash. This can help to control bacterial growth in your mouth, breathing problems, and gum disease. Other compounds found in cocoa bean husk, strengthens enamel, and slow tooth decay. Moreover, dark chocolate has antioxidants, which offer various benefits to health.

However, nothing is perfect and neither is organic chocolate. This dark treat has high tannins content, which is a pigment that adds a bitter taste and stains your teeth. This might lead to scheduling teeth cleanings near you more often after enjoying these sweet treats.

Any dentist in Yaletown can suggest limiting dark chocolate consumption to about four ounces daily. Beyond this, there is a risk of deep stains. A professional during a scheduled teeth cleaning in Yaletown is qualified to offer solutions to this situation. Depending on the extent of the stains, it can require more than one appointment.

Experts state that it is better to eat chocolate right after a meal and all in one sitting. The key is to avoid consuming it several times a day. This is to prevent constant acid production and the chocolate probiotic effect on streptococcus. This last effect causes serious oral and overall health complications. Maintain a healthy diet, visit your dentist yearly, and always rinse after eating this sweet treat. In both general and oral health, prevention is better than cure.