Red Wine – Good for the Heart and the Teeth?

A recent study by scientists in Spain has indicated that red wine, and even grape seed extract, can directly destroy the bacteria responsible for dental diseases such as plaque and tooth decay. As an added bonus, they can be effective without some of the harsher side effects of antimicrobial rinses, and with longer-lasting effects than fluoride and toothpaste.

The study aimed to test some real-world conditions and applications, which included dipping some biofilms into different liquids, including red wine, red wine without alcohol, and red wine infused with extra grape seed extract. Biofilms are communities of nasty bacteria that coat your teeth and gums and are notoriously hard to kill. When they are exposed to sugars and starches, they begin to create acid which will erode your teeth.  However, in just a few minutes of dipping, all three wine tests were shown to be more strongly effective at removing the biofilms than other tested liquids.

But don’t go busting out that bottle of wine just yet. In addition to the potentially staining aspect of the wine, scientists have yet to determine the specifics of how the chemicals impact the oral bacteria.
However, scientists can use these studies and findings to implement a new mouthwash or rinse to kill biofilms and help prevent tooth decay. More importantly, these new rinses and washes would potentially carry fewer side effects than the more common methods of today; some antimicrobial rinses can alter your sense of taste and even change your gums different colors.

Bear in mind, the scientists did test pure ethanol against the biofilms as well. The results showed that ethanol wasn’t as effective as the red wine or red wine without alcohol. This indicates that it’s not the alcohol content of the wine that makes it effective, rather it’s the polyphenols or some other common ingredients found both in grape seed extract and wine.

Keep your eyes peeled for more studies about this coming forward. It would potentially offer a completely natural plaque-fighting solution for people concerned with the amounts of chemicals they consume. In the meantime, your Valencia dentist, Go Dental, will be your ultimate tool in keeping your teeth and gums happy and healthy.