(iVillage Total Health) - Chocolate lovers take heart. You may one day be able to get the same thrill from brushing your teeth that you get from a box of chocolates.
That's because a Tulane University researcher has found a way for a natural extract of cocoa powder to protect teeth enamel. Researchers compared the effects on tooth enamel of both the cocoa extract and fluoride and say the extract may be an effective alternative to fluoride, a chemical that has been added to toothpaste for nearly a century to strengthen teeth and protect them against tooth decay.
The extract is a white crystalline powder that is similar to caffeine and works to harden enamel. So far, researchers have only used the compound in animal models. Human uses may be as much as two to four years away, according to a Tulane press release.
The lead researcher, Tulane doctoral candidate Arman Sadeghpour, said he has developed a prototype of a peppermint-flavored toothpaste containing the cocoa extract.
His research colleagues included scientists from Tulane, the University of New Orleans and Louisiana State University's School of Dentistry.
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