Tea on dental cavities
Before going into the effects of tea on dental decay, it’s a good idea to have some general information on the teeth and the causes of tooth decay.
I have learned many things about tea, but tea on dental cavities is one of the interesting aspects of this wonderful and healthy drink.
Generally, an adult has 32 permanent teeth. Each young child first have about 20 teeth. These teeth are then replaced by 32 new permanent teeth.
These 32 teeth are all we have for the rest of our life. So it’s very important to keep them clean and healthy. Basically, each tooth is planted into a pocket in the gum. Lining between the tooth and the gum is a layer that contains nerves, blood vessels, and connective tissues.
Causes of dental cavities
After eating, small residues of foods still cling on the outer surface of the teeth. There are almost a hundred types of bacteria living in the mouth and eat these food residues (more specifically carbohydrates) on our teeth. The bacteria form groups living on the top surface of the teeth and between teeth. These are places that small amount of foods can usually be stuck and often stay without notice.
The most common type of bacteria found in dental cavities is Streptococcus Mutans. It is more commonly known S. Mutans. S. Mutans bacteria like to attack the top surface of the tooth and the space between the teeth. These bacteria digest these foods and release acids (as though waste) at the same time.
These amounts of acids gradually eat away the minerals of the teeth. When this effect continues, dental cavities start to develop. Dental cavities take about 1-2 years to be noticed. People usually only realize they have tooth decay when they feel intense toothaches or experience pain when eating hot or cold foods.
When people eat the foods and don’t brush and floss right away, the bacteria have more time to eat and release more acids to degrade the minerals in the teeth. Moreover, these bacteria can release a sticky substance on the surfaces of the tooth. This is what is called dental plaques.
Tiny cavities and plaques gradually spread to the root of the teeth . There is a structure called pulp layer at the bottom of the teeth. When the cavities and plaques reach the pulp layer, people start to feel the inflammation and severe pain. However, today people are surrounded with sugar-containing foods and drinks like sodas, candy, ice-cream, cakes… It becomes very difficult to prevent tooth decay with all those sweet treats tempting you 24 hours a day.
Effects of tea on dental cavities
You can reduce the risk of developing tooth decay by drinking tea, along with frequent brushing and flossing. Tea contains very high level of fluoride. It’s one of the most effective chemical to fight dental cavities and plaques. Fluoride often is added into the water source to protect people, especially children, from developing dental problems. However, the amount of fluoride in the water has to be greatly controlled so people will not be exposing to a dangerous level of fluoride.
This is one of the advantages of drinking tea. Fluoride is a natural component in tea along with many other natural chemicals. Therefore, tea provides people with only a necessary level of fluoride. When brewed, fluoride molecules from the leaves are dissolved into the water. When people drinking tea, the fluoride travels to their mouth and reside on the teeth.
There, these helpful molecules start to kill the bacteria that cause plaques and dental cavities. It also stabilizes the protective layer enamel of the teeth.
The effects of antioxidants
Antioxidant ECGC in tea hinders the growth of bacteria, reducing the risk of cavities development. The benefit of tea on dental cavities can be indirect.
Tea also helps regulate the intestine so it would deliver enough mineral to strengthen the protective layers of the teeth. Furthermore, tea can initiate more production of saliva. The acidity of saliva will destroy more bacteria before they can harm the teeth. This lowers the chance of cavities development.
Recent studies about tea on dental cavities have noticed that places in Vietnam, China, India, or Japan where tea is the popular drink of the people, the rate of dental problems are much lower. Today, many brands of toothpaste like Colgate, Aim, Aqua fresh, and Crest have included green tea to enhance dental protection.
