For years, research has supported the benefits of an occasional glass of red wine to your heart health. Now, studies in Italy have shown that red wine may help prevent tooth decay and gum disease. These findings suggest that certain chemicals in red wine inhibit the growth of bacteria and limit inflammation.

Found in other foods such as chocolate and apples, chemicals in red wine called proanthocyanidins have antioxidant properties. These proanthocyanidins seem to stop the Streptococcus mutans bacteria, some of the main causes of tooth decay, from developing on teeth. The Italian researchers actually took the alcohol from a high-quality Italian red wine, then added the nonalcoholic red wine to cultures of the bacteria in saliva, extracted teeth coated with saliva, and saliva-coated calcium ceramic beads. Their results showed that adding the wine prevented the bacteria from sticking to the saliva and the teeth.

Another study performed at Cornell University indicated that polyphenols, or chemicals in grape seeds and red wine that help limit the impact of damaging free radicals in the body, also reduce inflammation caused by gingivitis, bacterial infections found in the gums. Currently, no one has looked into the whether or not white wine has any oral health benefits, but the high acidity of white wine might make it a less favorable choice.

Approximately one out of four American adults has some form of gum disease. Left untreated, gum disease can lead to bone degeneration and tooth loss. As well, gum disease has been linked to more serious health problems such as heart disease, Alzheimer’s, osteoporosis, and complications with diabetes.

Dr. Yolanda Cruz – Toronto Dentist