Regular Intake of Green Tea Improves Dental Health

Routine intake of green tea can help promote healthy teeth and gums, according to a new study.

The study analyzed the periodontal health of 940 men, and found that those who regularly drank green tea had superior periodontal health than subjects that consumed less green tea.

Chinese Green Tea - Health Benefits - Harmful Effects - FAQs
Green tea is the least processed variant of tea. Tea is a beverage made from the processed leaves of Camellia sinensis (Family- Theaceae).

"It has been long speculated that green tea possesses a host of health benefits," said study author Dr. Yoshihiro Shimazaki of Kyushu University in Fukuoka, Japan.

"And since many of us enjoy green tea on a regular basis, my colleagues and I were eager to investigate the impact of green tea consumption on periodontal health, especially considering the escalating emphasis on the connection between periodontal health and overall health," Shimazaki added.

Male participants aged 49 through 59 were examined on three indicators of periodontal disease: periodontal pocket depth (PD), clinical attachment loss (CAL) of gum tissue, and bleeding on probing (BOP) of the gum tissue.

Bleeding Gums - Causes, Symptoms, Diagnosis & Treatment
Bleeding gums is a condition in which blood leaks from the gums and the spaces between the teeth. Gingivitis and periodontitis are the causes of bleeding gums which result in pain and swollen gums.

Researchers observed that for every one cup of green tea consumed per day, there was a decrease in all three indicators, therefore signifying a lower instance of periodontal disease in those subjects who regularly drank green tea.

Green tea's ability to help reduce symptoms of periodontal disease may be due to the presence of the antioxidant catechin.

Tooth Decay - Causes, Symptoms, Diagnosis, Treatment & Prevention
Tooth decay in toddlers, children and adults, also called dental caries, is a bacterial infection causing demineralization and destruction of the hard tissues of the teeth.

Previous study has shown antioxidants' ability to reduce inflammation in the body, and the indicators of periodontal disease measured in this study, PD, CAL and BOP, suggest the existence of an inflammatory response to periodontal bacteria in the mouth.

By interfering with the body's inflammatory response to periodontal bacteria, green tea may actually help promote periodontal health, and ward off further disease.

About Swollen Gums
Encyclopedia section of medindia explains in brief about Swollen Gums

Periodontal disease is a chronic inflammatory disease that affects the gums and bone supporting the teeth, and has been associated with the progression of other diseases such as cardiovascular disease and diabetes.

Dr. David Cochran, DDS, PhD, President of the AAP and Chair of the Department of Periodontics at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, said: "Periodontists believe that maintaining healthy gums is absolutely critical to maintaining a healthy body."

"That is why it is so important to find simple ways to boost periodontal health, such as regularly drinking green tea - something already known to possess certain health-related benefits," he added.

The study has been published in the Journal of Periodontology, the official publication of the American Academy of Periodontology (AAP).

Source-ANI
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