| ORIGINAL RESEARCH |
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| Year : 2017 | Volume
: 9
| Issue : 6 | Page : 251-254 |
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Knowledge of oral health benefits of tea in an urban dental patient population
Michelle A Wheater, Ana Barajas
Division of Integrated Biomedical Sciences, University of Detroit Mercy School of Dentistry, Detroit, MI, USA
Correspondence Address:
Dr. Michelle A Wheater
Division of Integrated Biomedical Sciences, University of Detroit Mercy School of Dentistry, 2700 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., Clinic Building Room 430, Detroit, MI 48208
USA
 Source of Support: None, Conflict of Interest: None  | Check |
DOI: 10.4103/jioh.jioh_167_17
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Aims: Much has been written about the health benefits of green tea in both the scientific and lay literature. The purpose of this cross-sectional survey study was to determine dental patient knowledge of the composition of green tea and attitudes regarding the potential oral health benefits of green tea consumption. Materials and Methods: A nine-item questionnaire, with several items in a multipart format, was distributed in paper and pencil form to a convenience sample of dental patients in the waiting area of an urban dental school. Data were entered into Qualtrics Research Suite software and analyzed using descriptive statistics and Chi-square with significance at P < 0.05. Results: Three hundred and thirty adult volunteers completed the questionnaire. The majority of the respondents were aware that tea is a popular drink worldwide, and nearly half of the respondents drink tea often. Those who drink tea prefer hot green tea and consume it mainly for the taste. Respondents knew that tea contains antioxidants but were less aware that tea contains polyphenols and epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG). Although the majority of respondents agreed that green tea is beneficial to oral health, responses were generally split on agreement that it prevents caries or halitosis or protects tooth enamel. For the majority of the questions, there was no difference in responses relative to age or consumption of tea. Conclusion: While respondents generally agreed that green tea is beneficial to oral health, they do not take green tea, or EGCG supplements or use commercially available oral health products that contain green tea.
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