Keep Bad Breath at Bay on Valentine's Day with Dark Chocolate

When you have a date night set up for Valentine's Day, don't let bad breath ruin your plans. Take advantage of this sweet holiday by enjoying some dark chocolate. This type of chocolate offers some significant health benefits, including keeping your breath smelling fresh.

How to Deal with Bad Breath

Bacteria in your mouth are the cause of bad breath, which means there's no way to prevent it altogether. These germs don't go away for good, but you can keep them at bay and reduce your risk of having your breath smell bad by brushing your teeth on a regular basis and watching the foods you eat. Starchy foods, such as potato chips, and sugary foods can stick to your teeth more, causing a higher amount of bacteria to build up inside your mouth. This can make your breath smell bad and increase your risk of developing tooth decay. You can help maintain fresh breath by eating more foods that reduce bacteria, which includes dark chocolate.

Dental Benefits of Dark Chocolate

Valentine's Day is the perfect time to indulge in some dark chocolate, but you don't have to limit yourself to enjoying it on this holiday. Dark chocolate offers significant benefits for your oral health, including preventing bad breath and lowering your risk of tooth decay. The cocoa bean husk used to make this type of chocolate has been shown to have an antibacterial effect that gets rid of bacteria that cause your breath to smell bad and increase the risk of tooth decay. Dark chocolate also contains a compound known as CBH, which makes your tooth enamel stronger and less vulnerable to decay and damage. When you eat this type of chocolate, which contains less sugar than milk chocolate, it reduces a number of bacteria in your mouth and prevents plaque from building up on your teeth. Keep in mind that this kind of chocolate has other benefits as well, including boosting your mood and promoting healthy blood circulation.

Routine dental cleanings can also help you deal with bad breath. If your teeth could use a checkup and cleaning, please contact Great Lakes Dental to set up an appointment with our dentist.