06.30.08
skip the yogurt and reach for tea
posted by Michelle Rabin | 5 comments
I’m a big fan of Dr. Mehmet Oz. Oprah has him on her show at least once a month. The man has single- handedly turned America on to a lot of healthy ideas and dispelled many myths and answered lots of difficult questions - everything you’ve always wanted to know but were afraid to ask. I know Dr. Oz is a fan 
of green and white tea and I was sorry to notice that he missed the opportunity to encourage people to drink tea during his discussion of oral health.
Nothing will improve the “oral cavity” as much as tea. We’re beginning to see tea in many dental products but the truth is, just keep some fresh tea handy and swish it around in your mouth before bed - after you’ve brushed and flossed. I typically do a final steep before going up to bed, of whatever tea is in one of the many pots that I’ve used that day. By the time I’ve washed, brushed and flossed, I’m ready for a final swish of tea. I like having that delicious taste in my mouth - obviously no remaining caffeine to keep me awake- knowing that it’s doing it’s job to kill the remaining bacteria in my mouth while I drift off to sleep. My dentist actually said - “This is a different mouth. What are you doing?” I can’t say that he bought the association to tea - this
was six years ago and the public hadn’t yet embraced the health benefits of tea. I was undaunted, however, as I knew the tea rinse was what had made the difference.
I met Dr. Milton Schiffenbauer at Pace University a few years ago. He’s one of our guest contributors here at T Ching. He’d been a microbiologist for over 50 years and still had trouble believing the results of his research. “I’ve never seen anything like this,” he remarked, “that tea just kills everything. I put a nasty bacteria, virus or fungus on a petri dish and add some green tea and within 10 minutes, everything is dead and the dish is clean”.
If you’re wanting to impress your dentist and hygienist - just remember to swish a little tea around your mouth and smile, knowing that you’ve made your mouth and dentist very happy.
June 30th, 2008 at 9:39 pm
But what about the stains? My husband’s teeth, especially, are so susceptible. Any good solutions beyond getting them whitened professionally or using the kits or whitening toothpaste?
June 30th, 2008 at 10:02 pm
Very interesting question. I don’t have any problem with staining personally. I actually have a final sip of tea in the middle of the night when I take a thyroid pill. Perhaps we have a dentist out there who could respond to this issue. It must be something that is related to each of our mouths and teeth. As you point out, your husband has a bigger problem than you. My husband also has no problem with staining although I always attributed it to his compulsive dental hygiene. The hygienist just loves him.
July 1st, 2008 at 11:19 am
Regarding stains: My hygienist noticed the tea stains I had. She recommended brushing with baking soda once or twice a day. It has worked great. I have no staining. Also, wouldn’t green tea stain less than black tea?
July 1st, 2008 at 11:48 am
Thanks Diane. There’s another good question. Because green and white teas are lighter in color, I would assume that they would in fact stain less……..but you know what happens when you assume….?
July 1st, 2008 at 9:25 pm
Thanks for the tip, Diane. I’m assuming/guessing it might have to do with the porosity of the enamel or condition of the enamel. I never need professional cleaning and have had very few cavities all my life, but I do notice that the black tea (which is mostly what we drink) does stain them. I’m going to get some baking soda. I’m assuming/guessing
…
that it literally acts like that stuff they use when polishing your teeth, that gritty stuff?