chocolate toothpaste

Theodent recently announced the introduction of a toothpaste that features chocolate (cocoa extracts) as an ingredient.

The New Orleans Times-Picayune, where the company is based, reported that "The toothpaste doesn't actually taste like chocolate; it is mint-flavored. The developers hope to expand the Theodent line to include dental floss, mouthwash and a chocolate-flavored, sugar-free toothpaste for children."

According to the company's website, Theodent is a "non-toxic and revolutionary alternative to fluoride, Rennou." The company's other product is Theodent 300, which offers an increased dosage of the proprietary Rennou ingedient.

Tetsuo Nakamoto, DDS, PhD, is Theodent's lead researcher and listed as co-founder on the website. The website described the proprietary ingredient as "Dr. Nakamoto was researching the nutritional effects of caffeine on prenatal development when he made the groundbreaking discovery that Rennou, an all-natural extract of chocolate caused the unit crystals of enamel to grow larger, thus hardening teeth."

The Times-Picayne also offered this explanation, "Nakamoto, with the help of University of New Orleans researchers, found that a cocoa extract was beneficial in fighting cavities. Testing was conducted on human teeth and a head-to-head comparison between the abilities of cocoa extract and fluoride to strengthen tooth enamel was performed. The research confirmed Nakamoto's earlier discovery: that cocoa extract strengthens and enlarges the crystals that make up the tooth, resulting in a more robust enamel."

Dr. Nakamoto worked for over 15 years as a professor of physiology and pediatrics at Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center and is currently a Professor Emeritus there. Dr. Nakamoto has over 40 years experience as an academic researcher, conducting extensive research in the areas of nutrition and physiology.

Theodent toothpaste is sold in 3.4-ounce tubes for $9.99 at Whole Foods Markets outlets. For more information, visit http://theodent.com/ .