Let’s Just Get to the Point:
Move over energy-boosting and tummy-flattening drinks—the next wave of beauty-boosting beverages is coming after your smile. Enter: qii, a dentist-approved, natural tea formulated with a neutral pH and without any sugars to keep your smile healthy and fresh.
If You Want to Know More:
Dubbed the world’s first drink to care for your oral health, qii (the number “seven” in Mandarin) is a tooth-friendly tea—available in Lemongrass Ginger Green Tea or Oolong ($23 for 12)—that boasts a pH of seven, making it neutral, and a formulation sweetened with xylitol.
While those two factors may not sound like a huge deal, Beverly Hills, CA cosmetic dentist Laurence Rifkin, DDS says xylitol is an artificial sweetener that does not feed the cavity- and plaque-forming bacteria called Streptococcus mutans. “It has been well-documented that dental cavities are caused by these specific bacteria by producing acids that demineralize enamel and dentin. Unlike sugars, xylitol doesn’t support the bacteria, and leads to a reduction of cavity-causing bacteria in the mouth.”
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Even more, the majority of the bottled teas lining your local Whole Foods’ shelves are acidic, meaning they’re eroding the enamel in your teeth while you sip. Because qii is not, you won’t have to worry about degrading your smile, but you’ll notice fresher breath and a mouth that feels cleaner after drinking it.
The bottom line: Dr. Rifkin says this tea—along with all products that are a neutral pH and do not feed bacteria—are a positive step in reducing one of the causes of cavities. Cheers!
