Tea: A Healthier Drink for Teeth and Gums

What is a person to drink if they want to protect their teeth and gums, but don’t want to settle on just water? Sugary sodas can give you cavities and damage the enamel on the teeth. Coffee can leave stains that are difficult to scrub clean with just a toothbrush. New research from July/August issue of General Dentistry suggests that the solution may be tea, with green tea being a top choice.

Why Tea?

Anti-oxidants in tea have long made it a favorite healthy substitute for the coffee habit. They are known to reduce free radicals and which can produce symptoms of disease and aging. However, new research shows that tea has the same effect on tooth enamel as water, but it’s ultimately tastier to drink. It also contains nutritional components not available in water. Not only will you fill your body with needed anti-oxidants, but you also won’t be creating any new cavities, as long as you don’t load your cup up with sugar. Catechin is one of those anti-oxidant compounds that are also shown to promote better tooth and gum health too. Catechins are within both black and green teas.

Green Tea is the Best Choice

Although any tea will have natural anti-oxidants, green tea appears to be the best choice if you want to preserve your dental health. It won’t discolor your teeth and the study showed that it also helped men with gum disease to reduce bleeding and gum recession with a minimum of only one cup of green tea per day. Green tea can come in a variety of flavors and gives a nice energy boost when you first wake up.

Make Sure it’s Unsweetened

If you can’t stomach green tea, the next best choice is black tea. Black tea can come in more flavors than green tea and many find it more palatable. Herbal teas were not included in the study results. Despite your choice of beverage, one thing is certain: If you sweeten your drink, you increase the chances of irritating your gums and damaging your tooth enamel. Sugar is acidic in nature and will attack your teeth and gums, even when it’s put in a cup of green tea. To get the most health benefits from your morning cup of tea, focus on increasing the tea content and reducing the sugars. If you can drink your tea without any sweeteners whatsoever, you’ll be doing the best you can to protect your teeth and gums from future damage.

A Family Dental Care Center

2030 W. Main St.

Jeffersonville, PA 19403