Tea Can Inhibit Formation Dental CariesTea, especially green tea and black tea contain various components of the compounds that can inhibit the formation of caries. Catechins are a group of compounds in poliphenol is the main active compound in protecting teeth from caries danger. Catechins found in tea have anti-streptococcal activity that can inhibit growth and kill S. mutans and S. sobrinus. Catechins also inhibited transferase activity in S. glukosil mutans and S. sobrinus is an important enzyme in the fermentation of sucrose. Poliphenol overall in green tea inhibits the enzyme amylase from S. mutans, whereas black tea contains more poliphenol can inhibit amylase enzyme from S. mutans and S. sobrinus. Amylase is also an important enzyme in the fermentation of sucrose by the bacterium. In addition, poliphenol can also inhibit the attachment of bacteria to the tooth. Poliphenol binding proteins and bacterial surface hydrophobicity resulting in lower aggregation / bacterial adhesions.
Tea also contains high fluoride. Fluoride makes teeth more resistant to demineralization (tooth mineral decomposition) by the acid and activate remineralization (tooth mineral formation) on the surface of the tooth so it does not easily occur caries. Problem of bad breath can also be overcome by diligent tea. This is due to better oral hygiene and inhibition of bacterial activity occurs.
The benefits of this tea can be felt over a freshly brewed tea from the leaves of the tea than tea bags or tea that has been in the packaging. In tea bags, which contain useful compounds are lacking and only contains a lot of caffeine alone. This is because tea bags contain tea leaves filings which consists mainly of the base and stem, but there are useful compounds in the leaves. While the bottled tea contains many beneficial compounds are destroyed and lost.
However, it should be noted that a good tea to drink to prevent caries is tea without sugar because sugar is one of the precipitating factors of caries. To get the maximum we should drink tea every day after meals. But the effort to maintain the dental health of course does not stop here. Oral and dental hygiene remains the most important things we must guard.
