Choccie keeps dentist away.CHOCOLATE lovers could soon be brushing their teeth morning and evening with their favourite sweet. Scientists revealed yesterday that part of the cocoa bean - chocolate's main ingredient - actually stops mouth bacteria. Now they plan to use the cocoa bean husk (CBH CBH cutaneous basophil hypersensitivity. ) in new treatments for tooth decay Tooth Decay Definition Tooth decay, which is also called dental cavities or dental caries, is the destruction of the outer surface (enamel) of a tooth. . Takashi Ooshima, who led the Japanese study, said: "It may be possible to use CBH extract in a mouthwash mouthwash /mouth·wash/ (mouth´wosh) a solution for rinsing the mouth. mouth·wash n. A medicated liquid for cleaning the mouth and treating diseased mucous membranes. or toothpaste toothpaste, n See dentifrice. ." At the moment, CBH is usually discarded during the production of chocolate. But tests on mice showed the ingredient is a valuable agent in fighting the bacteria which can lead to plaque and tooth decay. The scientists now want to do research into CBH's effectiveness on humans. Yesterday, David Beighton, of Guy's, King's and St Thomas' Dental Institute in London, said: "CBH certainly does have effects. But good oral hygiene Oral Hygiene Definition Oral hygiene is the practice of keeping the mouth clean and healthy by brushing and flossing to prevent tooth decay and gum disease. rather than eating lots of chocolate is the way to healthy teeth." |
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