Ancient Chinese and Japanese medicine believed green tea consumption could cure disease and heal wounds, recent scientific studies are beginning to establish the potential health benefits of drinking green tea, especially in weight loss, heart health, and cancer prevention.
Can green tea help manage gum disease?
Now, a recent study found that green tea can help manage gum disease. The researchers suggest a toothpaste made with green tea could be a beneficial addition to nonsurgical gum disease therapy.
In the study, the authors found that a toothpaste containing green tea extract significantly reduced gum inflammation in patients who had undergone therapy for gum disease, also known as periodontal disease.
The green tea paste also improved the antioxidant levels in the patients’ gums.
“Green tea is known to possess anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, and antioxidant activities,” the study authors explained. “Antioxidants have a protective effect on periodontal tissues.”
Green tea’s ability to help reduce symptoms of periodontal disease may be due to the presence of the antioxidant catechin.
Green tea and gum disease
The researchers looked at 30 patients who had received standard, nonsurgical treatment for gum disease, and they divided the patients into two groups of 15 people.
The first group was instructed to use a toothpaste that contained green tea extract, while the other was given a toothpaste that only contained fluoride and triclosan, another antibacterial agent.
When the patients returned for follow-up visits four weeks later, the researchers found the group who used the green tea extract had significantly less gum bleeding than the other group, reducing their gum bleeding percentage from 84% to 25%.
The group that didn’t use the green tea extract reduced their gum bleeding from 78% to 31%.
The authors noted that the green tea toothpaste was more successful in improving gum health than traditional toothpastes because of the “antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant properties of green tea.”
While green tea may be able to aid in gum disease treatment, the study authors don’t recommend patients skip their regular dental visits. Professional help is still needed to treat the disease overall, they noted.
Green Tea Benefits
Green tea doesn’t just benefit the mouth, though. Other studies have shown that it can also boost overall health and wellness.
One study found older women who regularly drank green tea may have a slightly lower risk of certain cancers, including those of the digestive system.
Green tea has also been shown to help prevent damage caused by sunlight, including premature aging and skin cancers.
Miami dentist, Dr. Papiernik, truly enjoys seeing the effect that a healthy smile has on his patient’s lives.
He believes that a healthy smile begins with knowledge. That is why one of his goals is to help elevate each patient’s dental awareness and to provide them with the best tools to maintain their dental health at its optimum.
Please call (305) 670 5100 to schedule an appointment. Miami dentist, Dr. Papiernik, specializes in cosmetic dentistry, dental implants, dental veneers, dental teeth whitening, teeth bonding, and general dentistry.
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Miami Smile Dental
South Miami dentist Dr. Serge Papiernik
9350 S. Dixie Hwy., Suite #920
Miami, FL 33156
(305) 670 5100
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