Dental Anxiety: Chocolate Can Be Calming & Tooth-Friendly

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Going to the dentist can be daunting at times, especially if it has been some time since your last visit. You may be a little nervous, yet you do not have to be. Before your dental visit, try a tooth-friendly chocolate treat; it will be calming and may help with any pain. 

Chocolate: Sweet and Calming

Making sure that you are calm before your dental appointment is important because stress can cloud your thoughts, and you may forget to mention a symptom or two to your dentist.

But don't worry because chocolate is here to help. Chocolate contains different chemicals that will help keep you calm during your visit. One of those ingredients is called anandamide. Anandamide is an active ingredient in chocolate that makes the receptors in your brain more sensitive to serotonin. Serotonin is a feel-good neurotransmitter that makes you feel happy. 

The active ingredients in chocolate won't just give you a feeling of euphoria. Chocolate has also been found to create natural opiates in your brain. These opiates have the ability to dull any pain that you might be feeling or are about to feel. As you can see, chocolate is a good treat to have before visiting your dentist. But you must buy tooth-friendly chocolate. 

Chocolate Can Be More Tooth-Friendly Than You Think

You may be impressed by how chocolate can make you feel during your visit to your dentist. Yet, the right chocolate can impress dentists too. Chocolate that is raw and unfiltered contains over 300 beneficial chemicals and counting.

One study found that chocolate may be instrumental in your battle against tooth-decay. The study focused on a specific chemical found in the bark of the cacao bean called CBH. CBH seems to inhibit the growth and effectiveness of any oral pathogens in your mouth. The reason is that CBH is highly antibacterial, and its effects are strongest against streptococcus. The streptococcus bacteria, as your dentist has probably told you, is primarily responsible for many dental ailments like the following:

As you can see, visiting your dentist can be a delight with a piece of raw chocolate. Remember to purchase raw dark chocolate, as many of the benefits are inside the husk of the cacao bean. The husks are usually disposed of during the production of milk chocolate. 


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