Let the black tea and green tea take care of your oral health — A short review of the antimicrobial activity of black tea and green tea extracts on

Abstract

Dental caries is a major global concern and source of great trouble worldwide. It is one of the most common chronic oral diseases in the world that affects both adults and children. The prevalence of DMFT index as a diagnostic criterion in the estimation of dental caries in the age group of 3–18 years was found to be 57%, whereas in patients aged above 18 years, it was much higher that is 77%.
Many studies have been carried out all over the world to find the cause behind it, and the main cause, which was well accepted by the people, was the action of pathogenic bacterial microflora such as ( in the oral cavity on the tooth surfaces. These bacteria strongly adhere to the tooth surface and produce lactic acid after fermentation of sucrose and various carbohydrates, which is responsible for the cavitation in the teeth. Many experiments and efforts have been made to remove from the oral cavity, like antibiotics, oral drugs, and more, which are beneficial but have side effects after long-term use, such as vomiting, diarrhea, resistance, teeth staining, etc.
That's why search ended at tea which is becoming a popular beverage and a widely consumed drink these days that has anti-streptococcal properties with least of side effect.
India's tea usage changed over time from being a colonial export to a regular beverage. With over 29% of the global tea production, India is one of the world's biggest producers and consumers. In India, tea has long been closely linked to the medicinal herbs that have long been used for both therapeutic purposes and general well-being.

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The Journal of Community Health Management 2024;11(2):54–56
Content available at: https://www.ipinnovative.com/open-access-journals
The Journal of Community Health Management
Journal homepage: https://www.jchm.in/
Review Article
Let the black tea and green tea take care of your oral health — A short review of
the antimicrobial activity of black tea and green tea extracts on Streptococcus
mutans
Siddharth Kumar Singh1, Anjali Gupta2*, Tushar Mathur3, Sayak Roy4
1Saraswati Dental College, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India
2Saraswati Medical College, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India
3Department of Oral Medicine and Radiology, Saraswati Dental College, Lucknow, India
4Dafodyl Dental Clinic
ARTICLE INFO
Article history:
Received 28-05-2024
Accepted 03-06-2024
Available online 20-07-2024
Keywords:
Antibacterial activity
Green tea
Streptococcus mutans
Black tea
ABSTRACT
Dental caries is a major global concern and source of great trouble worldwide. It is one of the most common
chronic oral diseases in the world that affects both adults and children. The prevalence of DMFT index as a
diagnostic criterion in the estimation of dental caries in the age group of 3–18 years was found to be 57%,
whereas in patients aged above 18 years, it was much higher that is 77%.
Many studies have been carried out all over the world to find the cause behind it, and the main cause,
which was well accepted by the people, was the action of pathogenic bacterial microflora such as
Streptococcus mutans (S. mutans) in the oral cavity on the tooth surfaces. These bacteria strongly adhere
to the tooth surface and produce lactic acid after fermentation of sucrose and various carbohydrates, which
is responsible for the cavitation in the teeth. Many experiments and efforts have been made to remove
Streptococcus from the oral cavity, like antibiotics, oral drugs, and more, which are beneficial but have side
effects after long-term use, such as vomiting, diarrhea, resistance, teeth staining, etc.
That’s why search ended at tea which is becoming a popular beverage and a widely consumed drink these
days that has anti-streptococcal properties with least of side effect.
India’s tea usage changed over time from being a colonial export to a regular beverage. With over 29% of
the global tea production, India is one of the world’s biggest producers and consumers. In India, tea has
long been closely linked to the medicinal herbs that have long been used for both therapeutic purposes and
general well-being.
This is an Open Access (OA) journal, and articles are distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons
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the work non-commercially, as long as appropriate credit is given and the new creations are licensed under
the identical terms.
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1. Background
Tea is obtained from dispensation of the tender leaves and
buds of the Camellia sinensis plant and is divided into two
categories: non-fermented tea (green tea) and fermented tea
(black tea).1
1. Green tea is obtained by drying of the Camellia leaves
so as to remove moisture followed by steam treatment.
* Corresponding author.
E-mail address:drnirviot@gmail.com (A. Gupta).
2. Black tea is obtained by firstly drying of the leaves to
remove moisture and then rolled and allowed to ferment.2
In black tea, these catechins are converted to higher
molecular weight polyphenolic compounds like flavons,
which give black tea its unique flavor and color. In contrast,
green tea is distinguished by the prevalence of non-oxidized
phenolic compounds called catechins, which are responsible
for the antioxidant capacity.3
https://doi.org/10.18231/j.jchm.2024.012
2394-272X/© 2024 Author(s), Published by Innovative Publication. 54

Singh et al. / The Journal of Community Health Management 2024;11(2):54–56 55
2. Introduction
S. mutans is a gram-positive facultative anaerobic bacteria
that is part of the normal flora of oral bacteria. It is one of
the most important cariogenic bacteria because it ferments
various sugars and is tolerant of acidic environments. The
bacterium’s growth and metabolism promote changes in the
oral environment, which in turn allows other bacteria to
also colonize the teeth and lead to the formation of dental
biofilm. Reducing the intake of sugars, brushing, flossing,
and using antimicrobial mouth rinsing solutions can help to
control the growth of cariogenic bacteria.4
Nowadays, the market is starting to carry a growing
number of sugar-filled soft drinks. Children are among the
clients, as are adults. This has led to serious concerns about
the effects on their health. There was a clear correlation
between the sugar content of these beverages and dental
health. They accomplish this by changing the pH of dental
plaque and saliva, which compromises the integrity of teeth.
Plaque bacteria convert these sugars into acids, which in
turn decrease salivary pH and demineralize teeth. Thus, it
is evident that soft drinks and dental caries are directly
related.5
Medicine has established the use of plants for thousands
of years. The curiosity about naturally derived biological
compounds that may have the potential to be used as
therapeutics in medicine and dentistry is rising due to their
minimal side effects.6
Hence, the introduction of green tea and black tea took
place, which not only presented a new taste or flavour but
also provided several therapeutic uses.6,7
3. Discussion
When we go back to the 18th century, it was Miller who
came up with a proposal of acidic theory, which stated that
dental plaque, when exposed to an increase in sucrose levels,
leads to acid production, causing a drop in pH and leading to
the initiation of dental caries. The pathogenic factor of low
salivary pH facilitated the growth of acidogenic bacteria,
causing a dynamic imbalance between demineralization
and remineralization on the tooth’s hard surface, ultimately
resulting in cavitation.
The results of this investigation indicated a more
encouraging rise in salivary pH.8After 30 minutes of
consuming a sugary soft drink, the average pH was 5.75.
After being rinsed with black and green tea, the salivary
pH rose to 6.85 and 7.11, respectively. Further research by
Srinidhi et al. in 2014 revealed that salivary pH increased
following rinses with black and green tea.9
1. The activity of tea’s constituents against the
microorganisms that cause oral illnesses has been
the subject of numerous prior published studies and
discussions.
2. Studies have demonstrated that tea extracts are
efficient against cariogenic germs and inhibit the
attachment of bacteria to dental surfaces.10
3. It was found that using green tea as mouthwash
significantly reduced the amount of cariogenic
bacteria, such as S. mutans and Lactobacillus.11
4. Catechins were believed to have antibacterial
and antiplaque effects. By interacting with the
microorganism’s barrier function and causing its
depletion, they helped to prevent dental cavities.12,13
5. The bioactive constituents of green tea possess the
ability to impact the caries development process via
many ways: they may inhibit the proliferation of the
streptococcal agent or act as inhibitors of glucosyl
transferase and amylase.14
6. The biological properties of tea also include effects
on the Central/CNS System. Black tea exclusively
contains antioxidants and other substances such as
methylxanthines, caffeine (antioxidant), and phenolic
compounds, specifically catechins, that might help
protect the heart and blood vessels.15,16
7. It is also used to treat low blood pressure,
headaches, and heart attacks. It also prevents heart
disease, including atherosclerosis, or "hardening of the
arteries."17
Despite limited oxidation during processing, green
tea manages to retain significant chemicals known
as polyphenols, which may be able to reduce joint
degeneration, protect cartilage between bones, and prevent
inflammation and swelling. They seem to be capable of
combating infections caused by the human papillomavirus
(HPV).18
4. Conclusion
Hence, we now come to the inference that green and black
tea has anti-streptococcal properties as well as numerous
other therapeutic benefits that could make them effective
antimicrobial agents for a range of oral cavity infections.
The flavonoids and antioxidants in tea are responsible for its
positive effects on overall health. Additionally, it is shown
that drinking both black and green tea increased salivary pH,
which contributed to the substantial reduction of cariogenic
bacteria in the oral cavity. Hence, decreasing sugar-
sweetened beverage consumption and promoting naturally
derived tea products could be a leap forward to good oral
hygiene in the future.
5. Source of Funding
None
6. Conflict of Interest
None

56 Singh et al. / The Journal of Community Health Management 2024;11(2):54–56
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Author biography
Siddharth Kumar Singh, Professor
Anjali Gupta, Professor and Head
Tushar Mathur, Lecturer
Sayak Roy, Consultant
Cite this article: Singh SK, Gupta A, Mathur T, Roy S. Let the black
tea and green tea take care of your oral health — A short review of the
antimicrobial activity of black tea and green tea extracts on
Streptococcus mutans.J Community Health Manag 2024;11(2):54-56.