STUDY: Black and Green Tea Help Prevent Tooth Enamel Erosion

Photo courtesy of Wikipedia

© Ugur Akinci

First the shocking fact: did you know that a 20 oz. can of soft drink has 17 teaspoons of sugar?

Here’s another: The citric acid found in most fruit juices is actually more powerful than hydrochloric or sulfuric acid (a.k.a. “car battery acid”).

Result -- both the soft drinks and fruit juices will corrode your tooth and wear out your tooth enamel. And once the enamel is gone, there’s no way to grow it back again.

However, you can stop the erosion by drinking black and green tea, according to a study published in the July/August 2008 issue of General Dentistry, the official journal of the Academy of General Dentistry (AGD).

According to the scientific research conducted by Mohamed A. Bassiouny, DMD, BDS, MSc, PhD, green tea is better than black tea in its protective qualities. Actually, tea in general seems to have the same corrosive power as water: that is, none.

Organic Gunpowder Green Loose Tea

Dr. Bassiouny said the research conducted in Japan and Europe has determined green tea to be superior to the black tea due to its higher content of “natural flavonoids (plant nutrients) and antioxidants.”

However, adding milk, sugar, sweeteners or lemon to tea lessens its protective function.

AGD spokesperson Kenton Ross, DMD, FAGD, said enamel erosion due to high soft drink consumption is nothing new for dentists. "I would highly recommend patients choose tea as an alternative to more erosive drinks like soda and fruit juice."