Chocolate & Your Teeth

February. Unless your child is a snowmobiler, skier, or ice-fisherman, February is likely a month most of us wishes would pass as quickly as it begins. After all, frozen toes and chapped lips aren’t usually physical afflictions one desires to endure on a daily basis – even our snowman architect children. Even our southern brethren, who brave a more mild winter, no doubt yearn for the days when a sweater is no longer required. Despite the cold, though, there is always something about February that helps to melt away all that freeze and warm us up both inside and out – Valentine’s Day, and its most favorite of gifts – chocolate!

Now, before you think we’re about to tell you all the bad things about chocolate and why you should keep your kids away from it … we’re going to surprise you here for a bit. Reason being, would you believe, that chocolate can actually be good for your child’s teeth?

If you’re doing a little happy dance right now, you can continue … we’ll wait a moment. Okay, thanks. Yes, that’s not a typo. Chocolate can be good for our teeth. The problem is, most chocolate we consume is so loaded with sugar and calories the benefits we gain remain minimal. That said, it’s always good to understand what makes the foods we consume good or bad for us, and since your children are likely to be consuming more than their typical quantity of chocolate this month, we thought we would help fill you in on chocolate’s teeth protecting qualities.

So, you really don’t need to be hiding chocolate from your children. And, with giant chocolate Easter bunnies just a few months away, we know this would be an impossible task anyway. The good news is that chocolate (especially in moderation) may be a much better choice for them than other types of sweets. So, let your kids have some fun this Valentines’ season – and make this February a bit warmer at the same time.