Most people know that sugary drinks like soft drinks and sports drinks are bad for your teeth, but what about herbal tea?
The fact is that everything you eat and drink has the potential to negatively affect the overall health of your teeth.
But since there are many health benefits of tea, particularly herbal teas, we don’t want to throw the baby out with the bath water.
Let’s take a detailed look at the numerous health benefits of different types of tea as well as the potential dental problems they can cause.
Herbal tea blend
How Herbal Teas Impact Your Oral Health
There are numerous benefits to drinking herbal tea, and ways that teas impact oral health negatively.
Bad Breath
There are multiple possible causes of bad breath.
During sleep, we have less saliva circulating and since healthy saliva is full of good bacteria, less of it means our mouths become more vulnerable to harmful bacteria.
Other causes of bad breath include smoking, medication, acid reflux and anything that makes our mouths dry.
Look to ginger tea to alleviate bad breath.
Ginger has been used for over 2,000 years to aid digestion which is believed to be one cause of bad breath. Although there is less research on ginger tea than ginger, it follows that fresh ginger tea would also help to improve digestion and possibly reduce or alleviate bad breath.
Grating ginger root for fresh ginger tea
Gum Inflammation
The root of gum inflammation is the presence of bad bacteria, Streptococcus mutans, which penetrate and infect the gums.
Brushing and flossing have limited effects on the bacteria lodged deeply in the gums and between the teeth since those areas are difficult to reach. This is one reason why some dentists recommend antibacterial mouth wash.
Hibiscus tea may provide antibacterial benefits to reduce gum inflammation. Chamomile and ginger tea have anti-inflammatory properties and direct application of the tea bag to the affected gum area is another way to soothe pain from gum inflammation.
Proactive measures to reduce and eliminate gum inflammation are key to reducing the risk of tooth decay including the risk of cavities, and avoiding gum disease.
Teeth Staining
Teeth staining is not an inevitable result of drinking herbal teas or even coffee.
Contrary to common belief, it is not the color of acidic drinks that causes your teeth to be stained, it is the existence of pores in your tooth enamel.
A mouth with an acidic environment will create pores in your teeth over time. When you drink herbal tea, non-herbal tea or coffee, these liquids bathe your teeth, create dental enamel pores and cause staining.
Tannins are naturally occurring compounds found in herbs and fruit and are another contributor to stained teeth. Yerba mate is an example of an herbal tea high in tannin content.
Tannins in red wine also contribute to staining teeth.
Adding Sugar to Herbal Tea
Adding sugar to herbal tea raises the acidity of your saliva and increases your risk of tooth sensitivity and tooth decay by wearing on your tooth enamel. Herbal iced tea is one of the biggest offenders for being high in sugar.
However, if your mouth is dominated by good bacteria and your dental enamel is strong, there is a greater chance that your teeth can withstand this acidity, assuming your teeth are not bathed in acidic saliva for long periods.
Are Alkaline Herbal Teas Better for Oral Health?
One of the lesser-discussed keys to oral health and strong, healthy teeth is your saliva. Specifically, keep the pH or acidity level of your saliva at pH 7.0 or above.
Even the most healthful herbal teas will make the acidity of your saliva fluctuate but some herbal teas are less acidic than others.
The Most Alkaline Herbal Teas
Chamomile and mint teas such as peppermint tea are close to neutral on the pH scale making them two of the most alkaline herbal teas.
Although it is not an herbal tea, as a benchmark it is interesting to note that traditional black tea is significantly less acidic than some herbal teas such as traditional black currant tea and traditional lemon tea.
On a similar note, oolong tea and white tea lean toward alkaline and are less acidic than many herbal teas.
Surprisingly, tea such as a blend of echinacea and raspberry tea is more acidic than even orange juice.
The Acidity of Foods Comprising Herbal Teas
Fresh and dried flowers, seeds, roots and leaves are all ingredients used to make herbal teas.
Burdock root, chamomile, ginseng, goji berry and fennel are all examples of ingredients found in herbal teas. Of those, all are considered acidic foods except fennel, which hovers around neutral, namely around pH 7.0.
Keep in mind, foods such as lemons are alkalizing for the body but acidic for the saliva and mouth.
Ground herbs. Photo: lil artsy
How to Avoid Tea Stains
Most advice about how to avoid tea stains includes rinsing your mouth with water after eating or drinking, using a straw to drink, or getting regular professional cleaning.
The best way to avoid getting tea stains is by strengthening your tooth enamel. Strong and healthy tooth enamel does not stain because it is not riddled with pores into which an acidic drink can flood in.
The way to fortify dental enamel is by eating a healthy diet full of probiotics and fibrous foods for good gut health.
Another way to strengthen tooth enamel is to maintain the neutrality of your salivary pH level by consuming xylitol-containing food, mint or gum. By keeping your pH level closer to neutral, you reduce erosion of your dental enamel and staining.
Summary
The good news is that herbal tea is not inherently bad for your pearly whites. There are too many healthful benefits of herbal tea, not to mention enjoyment, to write it off altogether.
The negative effects of drinking herbal tea on teeth include creating an acidic environment in your mouth, no different than other teas and coffee.
This acidity can be countered by consuming xylitol-containing foods, mints or gum to neutralize your saliva and maintain good dental health.
