Green Tea May Be Good for Periodontal Health

By Arthur Kezian

I’m pretty sure you heard the saying “An apple a day keeps the doctor away!” What do you think would probably keep you away from the dentist? The answer would be a cup of green tea. Yes, recent studies from Japan show that consuming green tea on a regular basis may help promote periodontal health and prevent gum disease. But of course, remember you still have to visit your dentist on a regular basis.

Nowadays, a lot of people are getting more and more conscious about their health. People would really spend time and effort to look for food and beverages which will benefit their overall health. So now is a good time to read about the benefits of green tea which has been also linked to having healthy teeth and gums.  Researchers have found out that middle-aged men from Japan ages 49 to 59, who had regular intakes of green tea had better periodontal health compared to those with less consumption of this type of beverage.

There are lots of speculations about the wonders of drinking tea and now the demand for this drink is getting popular because of the proven health benefits it has been giving people for quite some time already.  Imagine not only will green tea give you a healthy and good looking appearance but will also be responsible with promoting healthy teeth and gums. Green tea is rich in antioxidants and the one which is responsible on the beneficial effect on the gums are what you call “catechins”.

What are the benefits of “catechins” to ones periodontal health?

·        It helps fight bacteria producing cavity from Streptococcus mutans which clings to the teeth. S. mutans uses sugars in the mouth which produces a sticky colorless deposit called plaque combined with saliva and food which produce deposits that collect on teeth and where teeth and gums meet.
·        Green tea helps inhibit the production of plaque which is a type of colorless deposits which constantly forms on the tooth surface. The buildup of plaque is the primary factor in periodontal disease discovered by a dentist.
·        Catechins found in green tea makes the tooth surface a bit more slippery which gives bacteria a hard time to cling onto the enamel.

Perhaps the most effective benefit of green tea would involve the bacteria responsible for causing gum disease where the patient ends up having the dreaded root canal treatment. Japanese researchers recently did a “test tube” study with different bacteria strains taken from patients having infected root canals. There were 24 bacterial strains which were taken into consideration. Put of the 24 bacterial strains, 21 were inhibited and completely destroyed by the green tea extracts. There are 4 different types of Japanese green tea extracts – the refined, ordinary, course and roasted.

Not only green tea has a multitude of benefits towards a good and healthy body and gum disease, it now also plays an important part with fighting bacteria in our mouth. Enjoy a cup of green tea everyday to ward of cavities, improve your immune system, give you a healthy heart, and beautify your skin as well.

Dr. Arthur A. Kezian DDS 443 N. Larchmont Blvd Los Angeles, CA 90004 (323) 467-2777 

-N.S.