There are many different varieties of chocolate. From white to dark chocolate, there are all different kinds to fit your unique tastes. It’s known that sugary sweets aren’t the best thing for your teeth, but what about chocolate? Parkcrest Dental Group investigates how good or bad chocolate is for your oral health.
Is Chocolate Bad For You?
Studies show that chocolate can actually be very beneficial to your oral health. People who ate a piece of chocolate every day had higher cognitive response than those who didn’t. They also had lower signs of tooth decay. Those are pretty incredible results, all because of eating chocolate every day! That doesn’t mean all chocolates are the same. While most people prefer milk chocolate, it is dark chocolate that actually contains properties that help your teeth.
Milk Vs. Dark Chocolate
Milk chocolate is the type of chocolate most people prefer to eat. When you think of eating a huge chocolate bar, most likely it’s one made out of milk chocolate. While delicious, this isn’t the type of chocolate that’ll prevent tooth decay. Milk chocolate contains high amounts of sugar, with only 20-30% of the chocolate bar actually being made of cocoa. This high sugar content is what causes tooth decay and cavities.
Dark chocolate is the real winner when it comes to oral health. Dark chocolate doesn’t contain as much sugar as regular chocolate, since it’s made of 70% cocoa and 30% sugar. This chocolate also contains polyphenols, antioxidants, and flavonoids that all work together to combat cavities, tooth decay, and bad breath.
So Eating Chocolate Everyday Will Stop Cavities?
While eating dark chocolate is helpful in combating cavities, it’s also good to continue a healthy oral routine. Continuing to brush twice a day, floss, and limit the amounts of sugary sweets are great methods to help prevent these problems.
Need A Check-Up? Head To Parkcrest Dental
Bi-yearly dental checkups are a great way to make sure your oral health is all in order. Schedule a check-up with Parkcrest Dental today in Springfield, MO this year to get a jump on your first appointment or contact us for more information.
