Benefits of green tea for dental health
Dr. D.Sendhil Nathan MDS, DNB Prosthodontics And Implantology
Green tea – The popular beverage most of us are consuming in Cafeteria is packed with a bunch of properties to strengthen our health. The caffeine drink has been in existence for more than 3000 years as our ancestors had known the healing properties of green tea.
Recent studies also assure that green tea consumption benefit people in a distinct manner like fat burning, minimize diabetes and much more.
Is green tea good for dental health? Yes.
Then, how does green tea protect our teeth and gums? The answer is in this post.
What are the compounds present in Green tea?
The active components present in green tea make the beverage to protect our oral health as well as overall health. It contains 4 catechins: Epicatechin gallate, Epicatechin, Epigallocatechin & Epigallocatechin gallate along with ascorbic acid, minerals and carotenoids.
Vitamin E present in Green tea makes it as an effective antioxidant to fight against oral bacteria. Likewise, it is rich in Fluorine that takes care of lowering teeth cavities.
Other health care elements in green tea include:
- Caffeine
- Theanine
- Saponins
- Vitamins C, B2
- Folic acid
- Oral health benefits of Green Tea
1) Protect your Gums
Periodontists reveal that periodontal pocket depth, gum bleeding, clinical attachment loss of gum tissues are the major symptoms of gum diseases. The antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties in green tea are powerful to intervene when our gums cannot stand against the periodontal bacteria.
It is found that the catechins prevent the bacterial invasion on gums and cure the gum lesions. Dentists also suggest green tea consumption is a powerful remedy to treat gum diseases at home.
2) Prevent teeth cavities
Green tea maintains the pH level of the saliva by neutralizing the acidity present in it. This minimizes the acid attacks on the teeth and in turn drastically reduce the bacteria present in the mouth. When our mouth gets free of bacteria and acid levels, it eradicates the plaque formation and dental caries.
3) Prevent tooth loss
When there is an infection in the gum tissues or deep penetration of bacteria in a tooth, it will eventually loosen the tooth bone and end up in teeth loss.
As mentioned earlier, we can get rid of gum disease infection and bacterial attack on the teeth with green tea. Hence it can prevent teeth loosening and assure the teeth’s longevity.
4) Refresh our breath
Researchers have observed that the ingredients present in the green tea powder are powerful to kill the microbes which stink our mouth. To say simply, when you get a nasty smell from your mouth, drink a cup of green tea. Then you can get rid of the fouling smell for a few hours.
5) Prevent oral cancer
The antioxidants in green tea are powerful to avoid cancer tumorous growth and preserve the cells from cellular damage. It has been found that green tea consumption can slow the progression of oral cancer.
Conclusion
If you have the habit of drink tea or coffee at break times, then you can easily switch to green tea. Dental health specialists recommend that consuming cups of green tea per day can keep your dental health strong and sound. The amount of tannins present in green tea powder is very less when compared to black tea and coffee. It assures that your teeth do not stain with the green tea consumption.
