London - If you like a strong cup of black coffee, your dentist has probably told you it is doing your teeth no favours.
But new research suggests that when drunk in moderation, coffee can actually stop tooth decay.
Brazilian scientists have found that a certain type of coffee bean has an anti-bacterial property – and if it is drunk black and without sugar, it could help to keep teeth healthy.
Scientists at Rio de Janeiro’s Federal University tested donated milk teeth with an extract from Coffea canephora, a type of bean that makes up 30 percent of the world’s coffee.
They found that the coffee actively broke down bacterial biofilms which cause dental plaques, a major cause of tooth decay.
Lead researcher Andrea Antonio said: “Dental plaque is a classic complex biofilm and it’s the main culprit in tooth decay and gum disease.”
The team cultivated biofilms on tooth fragments using bacteria taken from saliva. When the fragments were exposed to coffee extract, the bacteria were broken down.
The researchers think that polyphenol antioxidants in the coffee were probably responsible for the effect.
However Professor Antonio, writing in the journal Letters in Applied Microbiology, warned that excessive coffee consumption can still be bad for teeth, causing problems including staining and acid damage. - Daily Mail