The threat of gum disease is one that too many people take lightly. A little bit of bleeding gums isn’t a big deal, or it’s nothing to be worried about when your gums look a bit puffy.
That’s the wrong attitude to take with those kinds of signs: they’re the beginning of serious harm. We’ve been working to undo the damage caused by gum disease for a long time at our New Albany office, and we don’t like seeing it happen when it can be so easily prevented!
Not only are there a number of treatments available that can reverse the symptoms and eliminate the causes, but there’s an even easier way to treat gum disease: drinking green tea.
Tea?
That’s right – green tea: that hot, delicious tannin-filled drink that all … well, some … of us love. It has caffeine, flavor, and another great compound called catechins, which are seriously powerful bacteria-busting molecules.
It’s been believed that green tea had gum-disease fighting properties for a long time, but a new study has finally determined that it isn’t just a holdover from herbal medicine: it’s the real deal.
What Are Catechins?
Catechins are an anti-oxidant compound that is found in a lot of different plants, but in large quantities in tea leaves. All kinds of tea – white, green, and black, contain catechins but not to the same degree. These different kinds of teas use different parts of the plant and are also baked, dried, or fermented in different ways that kills off some of their catechin strength.
Green tea keeps the highest concentration of catechins, which has been suggested as a reason that tea-drinking populations in Japan have shown much lower rates of developing gum disease!
Catechins And Gum Disease: How Do They Interact?
There are a lot of kinds of bacteria in your mouth, and some of them are responsible for gum disease. One of the principle and most dangerous strains, P. gingivalis, is absolutely devastated by catechins. P. gingivalis is an incredibly powerful bacteria that doesn’t just cause problems in the mouth, but has also been implicated in illness and infection all over the body.
Drinking green tea rich in catechins has been shown to mess with P. gingivalis in several ways. First, it limits P. gingivalis’ ability to hold onto your gum tissue. If it can’t keep a grip it can’t do damage!
Second, catechins actually change the genetic structure of P. gingivalis to make it spread slower, destroy less tissue, and have a harder time traveling in your bloodstream. Basically, catechins are the superstars of fighting gum disease!
They Can’t Do It Alone
You can’t expect to fight gum disease just by drinking a lot of tea. You need to be proactive in your care by being sure to brush your teeth thoroughly, floss every day, and to make regular appointments at our New Albany dentist office.
Gum disease can’t start if oral bacteria doesn’t get under your gums, and you can help prevent it from doing that with good, preventive care! Drinking green tea is just a bonus, but it’s a bonus that could make all the difference.
PS: don’t put sugar in your tea if you’re trying to fight oral health problems. It negates the benefits almost completely.
Drink Up For Your Health!
If you want to really start a new oral care regimen in the best state possible you should make a dental cleaning your kickoff event. Do your teeth a favor by calling us today at (812) 945-7645! You can also request an appointment right here online.