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Tea, not only
possesses medicinal properties by way of antioxidants but is also a
very rich natural source of fluoride. This fluoride has a property
of binding to the tooth enamel.
Dry tea leaves
contain anywhere from 4 upto 400ppm of fluoride. What this means is
that a cup of brewed tea contains upto .5mg of fluoride.
If the mouth is
rinsed with tea, over one third of the fluoride is retained in the
oral cavity and some of it binds onto the tooth enamel. Therefore
tea is a very effective vehicle for delivering fluoride to the teeth
and oral tissues.
Dental caries is a
common disease, which occurs due to the combined effect of oral
flora, food sucrose and the teeth. The major microorganisms
responsible for this are the Streptococcus mutans and S. sobrinus.
All conventional therapy focuses on the host, that is the oral
cavity, instead of these microorganisms.
Tea has an
antibacterial effect on these typical microorganisms and therefore
interferes in the caries formation process.
Also, tea is very
rich in catechins. An important property of these catechins is that
it provides a discouraging environment for the adherence of the
bacteria on the teeth. Moreover, the enzymatic activity of these
microorganisms is inhibited by tea catechins.
According to
studies conducted by Onisi et al it was found that a group of
Japanese school children who drank a cup of green tea daily for 250
days had a 50% reduction in most type of carious lesions as compared
to a control group not given tea. This reduction in incidence of
caries was also maintained thereafter.
Given these
findings, it may additionally be worth to incorporate tea in your
daily routine. Besides its antioxidant properties, it should help
greatly in maintaining tooth health.
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