Tea flavonoids may help reduce plaque, and because tea extracts fluoride from the soil and stores it in its leaves it is also a good source of fluoride, which helps to build up tooth enamel and protect against tooth decay.

Tea and tooth decay

Just one cup of tea can contain between 0.3mg - 0.5mg of fluoride. The tea plant extracts fluoride from the soil, which then accumulates in its leaves, making it a good source of fluoride which is known to help prevent tooth decay.

Tea and plaque

The tannins in tea have been shown to inhibit the enzyme that converts starch to sugar (salivary amylase) so tea may reduce the potential of starchy foods to cause tooth decay. Studies have also demonstrated that tannic acid inhibits the growth of the bacteria that causes plaque.