Tea, not only possesses medicinal properties by way of antioxidants but is also a very rich natural source of fluoride. This fluoride has a property of binding to the tooth enamel.

Dry tea leaves contain anywhere from 4 upto 400ppm of fluoride. What this means is that a cup of brewed tea contains upto .5mg of fluoride.

If the mouth is rinsed with tea, over one third of the fluoride is retained in the oral cavity and some of it binds onto the tooth enamel. Therefore tea is a very effective vehicle for delivering fluoride to the teeth and oral tissues.

Dental caries is a common disease, which occurs due to the combined effect of oral flora, food sucrose and the teeth. The major microorganisms responsible for this are the Streptococcus mutans and S. sobrinus. All conventional therapy focuses on the host, that is the oral cavity, instead of these microorganisms.

Tea has an antibacterial effect on these typical microorganisms and therefore interferes in the caries formation process.

Also, tea is very rich in catechins. An important property of these catechins is that it provides a discouraging environment for the adherence of the bacteria on the teeth. Moreover, the enzymatic activity of these microorganisms is inhibited by tea catechins.

According to studies conducted by Onisi et al it was found that a group of Japanese school children who drank a cup of green tea daily for 250 days had a 50% reduction in most type of carious lesions as compared to a control group not given tea. This reduction in incidence of caries was also maintained thereafter.

Given these findings, it may additionally be worth to incorporate tea in your daily routine. Besides its antioxidant properties, it should help greatly in maintaining tooth health.