Research carried out by scientists at Pavia University, Italy, has discovered a substance contained in red wine could help to improve oral health.

Proanthocyanidins, which can be found in many plants and are present in red wines, help to remove harmful bacteria from teeth, giving a boost to dental hygiene.

Unfortunately, the researchers stated just drinking red wine would not be good enough to have an effect, as the drink also contains a high level of sugar which counteracts the effects.

The university is now working on extracting these helpful proanthocyanidins in order to use them to improve oral health in the future.

Elsewhere, a study by the Academy of General Dentistry recently showed extracts of aloe vera could help prevent gum disease.

The research suggested that aloe vera could have some soothing properties and help teeth and gums stay healthy, although it warned that these results are still open to interpretation.