How a Simple Cup of Green/Black Tea can Give You Healthier Teeth and Gums

Tea is perhaps the last thing that you would associate with dental health. Some are even wary of drinking tea thinking it be a reason behind stains in your teeth. To clear these doubts, drinking moderate amounts of tea everyday doesn’t cause staining in your teeth. While most of us enjoy the cup of tea but we aren’t aware of its numerous benefits for our oral health. Research has shown that drinking tea makes your gums healthier and also helps in treating bleeding, swollen and infected gums. Tea has in fact been used across different parts of the world in oral treatment for many centuries. Let us share with you a few benefits of tea that you may not have known till now. 

Black Tea’s Astringent Properties

We all are aware of the anti-oxidants properties of black tea, but it also contains a compound known as tannic acid which is known to have the natural healing properties of astringent. This can easily heal your gums and also helps in countering bad bacteria in your mouth. Many people use tea bags as a home remedy to treat abscesses, bleeding and swollen gums. For this, you can take a tea bag with black tea and soak in a cup of hot water for two to three minutes. Pull out the tea bag and let it cool and place it on the affected area.  Let it remain there for an hour or so during which you shouldn’t eat or drink anything other than water. Remove it after an hour or so and rinse your mouth with lukewarm water and you would experience immediate relief in your gums. 

Get Rid of Mouth Odor

People who suffer from bad breath can experience marvelous results from both green and black varieties of tea. Bad breath is caused by microbes that quickly germinate inside your mouth. When you eat food it also fuels the growth of these microbes resulting in bad odour that can severely affect your social and professional life. Tea has anti-microbial properties and helps in countering microbes and lets you have a fresh breath throughout the day. Green tea also neutralizes the sulfur compounds in your mouth that can also lead to bad breath.

Tea Prevents Cavity

As discussed earlier, tea both green and black helps in countering the effect of bacteria and also lower the acidity levels in your saliva they are also helpful in preventing cavities. Even if you enjoy your cup with sugar or other sweetener, drinking three to four cups of tea would prevent cavity in your teeth which also keeps gums healthy. Drinking tea is also useful in dealing with the problem of dental plaque and also arrests tooth decay. People who do not enjoy drinking tea also rinse their mouth with warm tea and enjoy the benefits of its anti-bacterial properties. 

Even we here at our dental clinic in San Diego recommend our patients to have green or black tea every day. The next time you are enjoying your favorite tea; do rejoice the benefits it would have on your gums and teeth. 

Foods to Keep Your Teeth and Gums Healthy

You may have come across numerous advisories on what’s good for your teeth and gums and what can cause them serious harm. The fact is everything that you eat affects your teeth and gums some adversely while others help in keeping them healthy. Let us take a look at some of the food items that helps in keeping your teeth and gums healthy and also add to your beautiful smile.

• Water – Let us begin with water which is important for your survival in the first place. Water helps in cleansing your teeth and gums and doesn’t allow pigmented food to stay in your mouth and also reduces the acidity level in your mouth. Drinking a glass of water after treating yourself to chocolates and other sweet food items is highly recommended. 
• Milk and Yogurt – Calcium acts as the building block for your teeth and these items are rich in calcium and help in strengthening your teeth also making the enamel whiter and healthier.
• Cheese – Yes Cheese! It not only makes your photographs appear beautiful it also helps in strengthening your teeth. White cheese is the best among all as it contains large amounts of calcium which is food for your teeth.
• Oranges – You may have heard citrus food stripping away the tooth enamel but the fact having oranges in small doses can also help in killing a wide range of bacteria in your teeth and also wash away the food debris from your mouth.
• Seeds and Nuts – Munching seeds and nuts are beneficial for your teeth as these help in cleaning the surface of the teeth by scrubbing them. Being rich in proteins and vitamins these types of food are also good for your health. 
• Apples – You may have heard the proverb “An apple a day keeps the doctor away” but Apple can also keep the dentist away. Their crispness strengthens your gums and the juices help in washing away plaque and bacteria.
• Tea - While most of us associate tea with staining compounds, black tea can help in preventing cavity causing bacteria in dental plaque. This can also help in preventing cavities and gum disease.
• Onions – Perhaps you only associate onions with bad odour but it also has great cleansing properties and wouldn’t let your teeth stain.  For the bad odour you can always brush the teeth after a meal.
• Pears – They are not only sweet and tasty but also help in reducing bacteria that leads to bad odour and staining in your teeth. Their juice also helps in removing food particles from between with your teeth.
• Baking Soda – It is one of the key ingredients in most toothpaste. You can also use this salt to rub your teeth as this mild abrasive can easily scrub away plaque and along with it surface stains.

All these food items can help in keeping your teeth and gums healthy. Most of these are a part of your regular diet and so the next time you eat them just keep in mind that your teeth and gums would be thanking you! At the same time, it’s important that you seek a renowned dentist in your area on regular intervals for check up.