Yael: (MOUTH FULL) Mmmm, I love chocolate!

Don: Whoa Yael, you better watch out, eating all those candy bars will give you      cavities!

Y: You won't believe this Don, but I just read a study that found a compound in      chocolate is actually even better at fighting cavities than fluoride!

D: Whaaaaat? So now we can all stop brushing our teeth and just eat chocolate bars?      Sounds sweet!

Y: Well, not quite. The compound, theobromine, can be extracted from the cocoa beans      used to make chocolate. Researchers at Tulane University and the University of New      Orleans found that theobromine can help fight cavities.

D: My dentist taught me that thin layers of our tooth enamel are continually dissolving      and then being rebuilt, or "remineralized." Fluoride works in two ways: by helping      your teeth rebuild the hard enamel surfaces, and by making your teeth less      susceptible to the acids produced by germs in plaque. Can this chocolate stuff do all      that?

Y: While the research is still in the early stages, theobromine proved even more effective      than fluoride in lab tests at both rebuilding enamel and protecting teeth from acids.      However, it will be another two to four years before enough real-world tests can be      done for it to be approved for use in toothpastes or mouth rinses. In the meantime,      maybe I will just eat more chocolate!

D: Hold on there Yael! Don't forget that chocolate not only contains theobromine, but is      also full of sugars that feed the decay-causing bacteria in your mouth!

Y: (SIGHS) But Don, I love chocolate!

D: Hey, I'm not saying you shouldn't eat chocolate -- just promise me you'll remember      to brush afterwards with fluoride toothpaste!  

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