 If cranberries are so good at keeping bacteria from sticking to the wall of the bladder, what about keeping bacteria from sticking to other places? Well, there's in vitro research suggesting cranberry phytonutrients may reduce adhesion of H. pylori bacteria to the wall of the stomach, and so maybe should be given along with antibiotics to help eradicate this ulcer-causing bacteria. And hey, what about our teeth? Our dental plaque is bacteria sticking to our teeth, particularly streptococcus mutants. We've known that those with different drinking habits, be they coffee, tea, barley, coffee, or wine, have about 10 times less of this plaque bacteria. Since those are all beverages from plants, maybe phytonutrients are fighting back at plaque. If bacteria cause plaque in cavities, why not just swish with some antibiotic solution, either synthetic or natural? Well, there are downsides to just indiscriminately wiping out bacteria, both good and bad, as I detailed in my antiseptic mouthwash video. So maybe if we just stopped the bad bugs from sticking to our teeth? Well, there is some evidence that cranberries may affect the adhesion of bacteria to fake teeth in a petri dish, but nothing yet definitive. Green tea also appears to help prevent cavities, which may be because of its natural fluoride content from the tea plant. I have a video about a woman who developed fluoride toxicity drinking up to like 5 dozen cups a day, but what about just regular consumption? Well, during the tooth development years, up to about age 9, children exposed to too much fluoride can develop dental fluorosis. A model discoloration of the teeth is just a cosmetic issue, and usually just kind of faint white spots, but is the main reason the EPA is reconsidering current tap water fluoridation levels. Currently, the suggested upper limit in water is two parts per million fluoride, and the mandatory upper limit is four. Herbal teas were fine, about a hundred fold under this limit, but caffeinated teas exceeded the suggested limit, and decaf teas exceeded the mandatory limit. Remember, though, that's the limit for tap water, so tea drinking would only pose much of a risk if kids drank it all day long as their primary beverage. So in terms of the dental ramifications, kids who primarily drank non-herbal tea as a source of hydration may be at risk for dental fluorosis.