The last bite

Who to believe?

It never ceases to astound me, although by now it should, how many pieces of advice there are in the course of a week, or sometimes even a day, on what is good and bad for us in general and our teeth in particular.

For example, we have been told by researchers in the US that chocolate of high cocoa content contains more health-giving plant chemicals than fruit. The study, carried out by researchers at the Hershey Centre for Health and Nutrition suggests that cacao seeds should be considered a 'super fruit' having proved cocoa is 'packed with more healthy plant compounds and antioxidants gram-for-gram'.

Meanwhile, a study from Naples University claims that oolong tea contains higher amounts of catechins, which have 'antimicrobial qualities' and protect against caries; while another from New York suggests nicotine may be a 'beneficial' analgesic to ease the pain of a tooth extraction. All of which is enough to drive you to drink – except even more advice suggests you consume your gin and tonic through a straw to prevent erosion. I give up!