Most of us would like to have a radiant, pearly white smile made up of healthy teeth. It seems appropriate that a drink with the word "white" in it should have beneficial effects on our oral health, but of course it is by no means a given. Tea in itself contains fluoride and antioxidants, both of which kill germs, but black tea is also known for staining teeth.
However, studies on tea and oral health strongly indicate that tea has a number of properties that helps it promote dental and oral health.
However, studies on tea and oral health strongly indicate that tea has a number of properties that helps it promote dental and oral health.
White tea has the strongest concentration of antioxidants of all teas, and these polyphenols (specifically catechins) appear to have a good effect on reducing cavities, plaque buildup, and periodontitis – in other words, dental and oral health.
The reason is twofold: Firstly, the antioxidants and the fluoride in the tea reduce the harmful bacteria in the mouth, and also prevent them from sticking to the teeth. Secondly, the bacteria that survive are kept inactive, and prevented from releasing the acid that are the direct cause of cavities.
Reduces plaque
Studies (sciencedaily.com) show an additional effect; The sticky material that makes up dental plaque does not stick as easily to the teeth of tea drinkers. These effects have been measured in study subjects drinking just two cups of tea a day between meals.
In a different study, the study subjects rinsed their mouths with tea ten times a day, resulting in a drop in cavities and plaque buildup, in proportion to how much the subjects rinsed. Also, the occurrence of gum disease dropped measurably.
Antibacterial white tea
These studies (msnbc.msn.com) were done using green and black tea, which don't contain as much antioxidants as white tea. In fact, white tea contains three times as much antioxidant as even green tea. Because white tea is still relatively rare and a recent addition to the diets of health-conscious people, not much research has been done on white tea and oral health. However, the antibacterial effects of white tea have been shown to be stronger than those of green tea (sciencedaily.com). This is a strong indication that the oral health benefits from white tea are even stronger than what has been proven for less antioxidant-rich teas.
White tea is better
It is well known that avid tea drinkers must watch out for dark staining of their teeth caused by black tea. For white tea, this problem is much reduced, due to white tea having much less coloring agents than black tea. Properly brewed white tea should have a much lighter appearance, with a subtle, golden tint in the cup, like a young white wine, with very few substances that might leave the teeth stained.
While tea of all sorts can be beneficial for oral and dental health, it's a safe bet that the potent white tea goes especially well together with healthy, white teeth and gums.
Source: www.whiteteacentral.com
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