Dental Tips & Education
Tip of the Month
A multitude of foods and dental products are touted as breath fresheners, but when Japanese researchers tested a variety in the lab, there was only one winner: green tea. Bad breath is largely caused by sulfur compounds created when bacteria in the mouth break down proteins, so the scientists measured how well would-be fresheners could either deodorize the compounds or halt their formation.
Sugarless gum, mints, and parsley-oil products all struck out. Toothpaste removed the odor but didn't cut production of stinky substances. Only green tea powder succeeded at both challenges. The secret: a chemical in the tea that also has antioxidant properties. So end dinner with a cup of green tea, or better yet, make dessert green tea ice cream (the real thing, not artificially flavored). Beyond the tea's benefits, the fat in the ice cream helps remove odor-producing bacteria, says lead researcher Ken Yaegaki, D.D.S., Ph.D.
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