Evidence on Green Tea–Derived Compounds for Dental Erosion Prevention: An Umbrella Review of Review-Level Studies

Abstract

Background: Dental erosion, also referred to as erosive tooth wear, is the irreversible loss of dental hard tissues due to the effects of acids. In addition to the use of fluorides for the prevention of dental erosion, other compounds, such as polyphenols, have been investigated as adjuncts in the prevention of dental erosion. Compounds such as epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), which are present in the leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant used to prepare green tea, have the potential to prevent the degradation of the matrix and the pellicle, thereby preventing dental erosion.
Objective: This umbrella review aims to critically appraise the review-level evidence on the effects of the use of green tea and its active compounds on dental erosion.
Methods: An umbrella review was conducted to assess the effects of the use of green tea and its active compounds on dental erosion and erosive tooth wear, following the PRISMA 2020 protocol. An electronic search of databases, including PubMed/MEDLINE, Scopus, Web of Science, Embase, and the Cochrane Library, was conducted to identify systematic reviews and meta-analyses on the effects of the use of green tea and its active compounds on dental erosion and erosive tooth wear.
Results: Six systematic reviews were included. The evidence generally supports the notion that green tea-derived compounds have a protective effect on dentin erosion, particularly in laboratory and in situ studies. The evidence regarding enamel was more variable. The only quantitative systematic review found that green tea-derived compounds resulted in significant reductions in dentin surface loss; however, it also reported high heterogeneity. The quality of the evidence ranged from high to critically low. The certainty of the evidence was generally low for dentin and very low for enamel and clinical outcomes.
Conclusion: Green tea polyphenols have shown promise as adjuncts to the prevention of dental erosion. The evidence base is composed mainly of experimental studies. Clinical trials are required to support the effectiveness of green tea-derived compounds.