Green Tea Found to Prevent Periodontal Disease

For over 4,000 years green tea has been a largely popular beverage in the Asian culture. The ancient Chinese and Japanese believed the drink could cure disease and heal wounds. Now green tea is becoming more popular in the United States and has been found to help prevent periodontal disease.

Recent studies have found that green tea, a drink having originated in the landmass encompassing Tibet, western China, and northern India, can have health benefits such as weight loss, heart health, and cancer prevention. But now studies say that green tea can also have a positive effect on periodontal disease.

Periodontal disease is a chronic inflammatory disease that affects the gums and the bones supporting the teeth. It has been associated with the progression of other diseases like cardiovascular disease and diabetes.

According to the Journal of Periodontology, routine intake of green tea can help to promote healthy teeth and healthy gums by limiting the growth of certain bacteria associated with periodontal disease. For the study, the periodontal health of 940 males between the ages of 49 and 59 were examined based on three indicators of periodontal disease; periodontal pocket depth (PD), clinical attachment loss (CAL) of gum tissue, and bleeding on probing (BOP) of the gum tissue. The study found that those that regularly drank green tea has superior periodontal health to those that didn’t drink the beverage.

The ability of green tea to have these positive effects on periodontal health may be due to the presence of antidoxident catechin. Previous research has found that antidoxidents can reduce inflammation in the body. This study’s examination of periodontal pocket depth, clinical attachment loss, and bleeding on probing found the existence of an inflammatory response to periodontal bacteria which can help promote periodontal health and fend off further disease.

Green tea’s most abundant catechin is called epigallocatechin gallate. This is thought to play an important role in the beverage’s anticancer and antioxidant effects. In fact, catechin really should be thought of on the same level as more popular antioxidents like vitamin E and vitamin C.

Green tea’s catechin inhibits the growth of P. gingivalis, Prevotella intermedia, and Prevotella nigrescens. Green tea’s also inhibits the production of the toxic end metabolites of P. gingivalis. Specifically EGCG and ECg, which are found in green tea, inhibit the activity of P. gingivalis-derived collagenase.

This catechin kills off black-pigmented, Gram-negative anaerobic rods, Porphyromonas gingivalis, and Prevotella species. Due to this catechin, the combination of green tea with treatment can help to improve your periodontal status.

A major characteristic feature of periodontal disease is alveolar bone resorption. This involves the removal of mineral and organic constituents of the bone matrix, a process that is mainly carried out by multinucleated osteoclast cells or matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs). EGCG, found in green tea, has the ability to inhibit the osteoclast formation in the coculture of the primary osteoclastic cells and the bone marrow cells. EGCG can induce apoptotic cell death of the osteoclast-like multinucleated cells in a dose-dependent manner. This action suggests that green tea plays an important role in the prevention of role resorption and therefore periodontal disease.

Porphyromonas gingivalis, a Gram-negative bacterium, has been reported to stimulate the activity and expression of several groups of MMPs. Conversely, EGCG inhibits the activity and expression of MMPs. Specifically, EGCG may prevent alveolar bone resorption that occurs in periodontal disease by inhibiting the expression of MMP-9 in the osteoblasts and the formation of osteoclasts.

Oxidative stress plays a critical role in the pathogenesis of periodontal disease in addition to many other diseases. It’s believed that antioxidents, like those found in green tea, can defend against inflammatory diseases like periodontal disease.

While the studies found that green tea can help prevent periodontal disease, it can’t do so on its own. Those looking to use it as a means of prevention must still use others preventive measures such as not smoking, which can cause periodontal disease, and brushing regularly.

There are many preventative measure people can take to avoid periodontal disease. This recent study suggests that the consumption of green tea is another of those potential preventative efforts. If you would like more information on preventing periodontal disease or have periodontal disease and are looking for treatment, contact Vero Implants and Periodontics for treatment.