When it comes to maintaining good oral health, the things you eat and drink can play a significant role. You likely already understand the necessity of brushing, flossing, and regular dnetal checkups for preventing dental disease. But did you know that adding green tea to your diet can have extra benefits for your dental health? In this blog, we’ll explore why you should consider drinking green tea for your dental health.
How Green Tea Is Good for Your General Health
Green tea is not only earthy and delicious in flavor, but also full of wholesome nutrients that promote an overall healthy body. Some of the advantages of drinking green tea include:
- Lowered risk of cardiovascular disease. Frequently drinking green tea can lower cholesterol and blood pressure.
- Weight loss. The nutrients in green tea boost metabolism and aid in reducing belly fat.
- Better memory. Believe it or not, the consumption of green tea has been linked to improved frontal lobe activity. It can protect the brain from age-related diseases.
- Increased protection from other illnesses, from the everyday flu to type 2 diabetes.
Five Dental Health Benefits of Green Tea
Even just a cup of green tea a day can do wonders for your teeth. This is because green tea contains polyphenols. The most prominent polyphenol in green tea is called catechin, which is an antioxidant with anti-inflammatory properties. Because of these beneficial nutrients, green tea can:
- Prevent inflammation. Frequently drinking green tea helps reduce inflammation and thus ease mouth pain.
- Curb cavities and tooth decay. When you drink green tea, the catechin mentioned above attacks the harmful bacteria known as streptococcus mutans. This bacteria is responsible for most tooth decay and cavities. The antioxidants in green tea raise your body’s defenses against teeth-destroying bacteria, saving you from painful toothaches and other dental problems.
- Fight diseases, such as gingivitis or periodontitis, a chronic inflammatory disease. Catechin has strong anti-inflammatory properties that help reduce inflammation associated with gum disease.
- Freshen your breath. Halitosis is often caused by bacteria lodged in your teeth and gums. Green tea will inhibit this bacteria, eliminating or at least improving bad breath.
- Heal bones. Osteoporosis patients have found bone-strengthening benefits in green tea. In turn, it has had similar effects on the protection and healing of teeth.
Can You Benefit from Green Tea Without Drinking It?
Not a fan of tea? That’s okay! There are other ways to ingest the nutrients of green tea. Green tea extract can be found at most organic supermarkets. There are also green tea supplements, mouthwash, and even toothpaste for those who want to reap its benefits without drinking it. You can also chew sugar-free, green tea-extract-induced gum to fight off harmful bacteria. Alternatively, you can find other polyphenol-rich foods and drinks to consume, such as berries, cloves, or dark chocolate.
Your Local Dentist in Flagstaff
At Country Club Dental, our top priority is providing you with excellent dental health. That’s why we’re glad to provide you with tips on how to maintain healthy teeth and gums. Have a nice cup of green tea and take advantage of all its dental health benefits. And don’t forget to keep up with your regular cleanings and exams! Give us a call at 928-526-4314 today to schedule an appointment with Dr. Paul Whitney or Dr. Mikaela Weedman.
Images used under creative commons license – commercial use (12/11/20). Image by Pexels on Pixabay.
