2026Journal articleFree to read

Camellia sinensis in the Prevention and Treatment of Dry Mouth: A Review.

Conde M, Kao E, Schmieder O, Watkins M, Newman RG, Tou JC

Dentistry journal

Read at the publisher →PubMed PubMed Central

Abstract

Background/Objective: Persistent dry mouth, associated with poor oral health and lower quality of life (QoL), affects approximately 20% of adults in the global population. Indicating a potential role in nutrition, Camellia sinensis tea leaves contain bioactive compounds that may help prevent and manage dry mouth. This review aimed to evaluate the effects of different tea types on salivary flow rate (SFR), salivary pH, and QoL in healthy and at-risk patients and patients with hyposalivation or xerostomia. Methods: A systematic review without meta-analysis (SWiM) was conducted. Pre-defined inclusion and exclusion criteria were applied to databases: PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and the Cochrane Library. Results: Eighteen studies met the eligibility criteria for inclusion in the review. Over 50% of studies investigated either black or green tea, with most conducted in healthy young adults (67%) and predominantly among females. Fifteen of the studies reported that tea intervention improved at least one outcome of interest. In general, green tea improved SFR and salivary pH more consistently than black, oolong, or matcha tea, particularly in at-risk populations and patients diagnosed with xerostomia. Conclusions: Tea consumption, particularly of green and black tea, showed a transient enhancement of salivary flow, pH, and QoL, offering a low-cost non-pharmacological approach to supporting oral health. Definitive recommendations were limited by heterogeneity in study interventions and outcome measurements, small sample sizes, and incomplete reporting of study details. However, tea's potential as an adjunct for the prevention and management of dry mouth warrants further study in larger, well-designed studies that employ standardized protocols.

Abstract text comes from PubMed, OpenAlex or Europe PMC and belongs to the authors and publisher.

Study type

Review

A narrative or scoping review of the literature.

Assigned automatically from the title, abstract and subject terms.

Topics

Skin, oral and dental Processing, milling and quality Market, culture and sustainability

Matcha is a main subject here (named in the keywords).

Keywords and subject terms

dry mouth hyposalivation quality of life salivary pH tea xerostomia Camellia sinensis salivary flow rate green tea black tea oolong tea matcha tea

Cite this study

Conde M, Kao E, Schmieder O, Watkins M, Newman RG, Tou JC. (2026). Camellia sinensis in the Prevention and Treatment of Dry Mouth: A Review. Dentistry journal. https://doi.org/10.3390/dj14060363

DOI: 10.3390/dj14060363 · PubMed ID: 42345954

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