New chocolate-flavored chews to help maintain healthy teeth

NEW YORK — Researchers at Stony Brook University School of Dental Medicine and Ortek Therapeutics have developed a chocolate-flavored soft chew that is beneficial for teeth.
BasicBites is a sugar-free chew that is designed to help maintain healthy teeth by supporting the normal acid-base, or pH, levels that exist on tooth surfaces while coating the teeth with a mineral source.
BasicBites, which have 20 calories per piece, are designed to mimic saliva's natural benefits.
The saliva-mimicking technology in BasicBites consists of two main ingredients — arginine bicarbonate and calcium carbonate. Arginine is a common amino acid found in saliva and is naturally present in many foods. Arginine supports the sustained base or alkali production on the surfaces of the teeth. This helps keep tooth surfaces in the existing normal pH range, allowing the calcium to coat and support healthy tooth structure.