Recently I have been going through a tea phase...I have been obsessed with drinking tea, specifically green tea. As I was drinking tea the other day, I developed a huge worry about whether or not green tea would stain my teeth. A dentist is a type of doctor so this would not be too far off my interest in the medical field (justifying my desire to learn what exactly green tea's effects are); plus there will be the other effects that green tea has on the body, so onward~
Green tea has many great benefits that come with drinking it. It has a lot of antioxidants (perfect during this time of the year so you don't get sick; plus it's a hot drink!), and there are even studies going on to see if green tea has an effect on cancer. Some studies have found that drinking green tea inhibits cancer growth and reduces the risk of cancer development. Plus green tea makes blood vessels less vulnerable to getting clogged; although of course healthy diet and exercise will always be the main help for that. Many of these studies were taken over a long period of time though, where green tea became a regular drink in the peoples' lives.
This does not mean to go out and drink 50 cups of green tea a day. There are still some negative effects of drinking too much of this delicious drink. While green tea is much healthier than coffee, it surprisingly may still contain a lot of caffeine (depending on the brand). An 8 ounce coffee cup can have 95 milligrams of caffeine, and an 8 ounce green tea cup may contain as much as 50 milligrams (drinking green tea out of a teabag has more caffeine than the leaves)! And going back to my main concern: tea stains.
All types of tea stain your teeth; although they do not stain as much as other drinks or acidic things like lemons do, tea will still stain your teeth. The color of the tea actually has a role on how much damage it will do - black tea is the most "acidic" of teas while green tea bends toward the more basic or alkaline side of teas. Sweetened teas will cause much more damage than unsweetened as all the sugar drowning your teeth will cause your teeth to erode and encourage cavities. While green tea can erode your teeth, it takes a much longer time than sweetened teas or juices. To prevent staining, you could try rinsing your mouth with water after drinking tea or brushing your teeth at least an hour after you drink tea (to allow your natural saliva to counter its effects on your enamel).
Overall, moderation is key - as it is in many cases in life. I love green tea but I also love my teeth so I guess I must limit myself to...a cup a day.
