Staying hydrated is essential for your entire body — even your oral health. Drinking enough water daily helps keep your teeth and gums healthy and failing to drink enough can negatively impact your wellbeing.
Here are a few reasons why you shouldn’t forget to drink those eight glasses of water per day.
Strengthening Your Teeth & Enamel
According to the CDC, drinking fluoridated water keeps teeth strong and reduces cavities and tooth decay by about 25% in children and adults. Drinking enough water daily also helps restore our enamel, which can become worn down from acids and bacteria that cling to our teeth from food particles.
Fluoride can be found in tap water and mineral water. If you’re looking to strengthen your teeth, be sure you aren’t filtering out fluoride!
Preventing Gingivitis
When our gums get dry, they tend to swell and recede away from our teeth. They also begin to collect plaque bacteria, eventually leading to gingivitis (also referred to as periodontal or gum disease.)
According to the CDC, 47% of adults aged 30 years and older have some form of periodontal disease, which, if left untreated, can slowly destroy the gums and surrounding tissue supporting the teeth.
Preventing periodontal disease is critical to protecting your oral and overall health. Drinking water as part of your oral hygiene routine will help your gums stay hydrated, clean, and healthy.
Keeping Your Mouth Clean
Food, juice, soda, and sports drinks can all leave unwanted acids in your mouth. Soft beverages aren’t hydrating and can be high in sugar, which increases your chance of cavities. Many of these drinks also have additives to make them taste less sweet but can still eat away at your teeth.
It’s best to drink water to hydrate your teeth and gums and keep your mouth clean.
Fighting Dry Mouth
Saliva is essential to our oral health because it has a protective effect against bacteria, helping to keep our mouth healthy. By washing away leftover food, your saliva helps your mouth fight tooth decay. However, when your saliva supply runs low, your dry mouth can put you at a higher risk for this issue.
Besides causing a dry environment in your mouth, dry mouth also increases your risk of gingivitis, tooth decay, and mouth infections. It also makes it harder to wear dentures in many cases. Drinking plenty of water can help prevent this issue.
Achieving Better Oral Health In New York And New Jersey
At ProHEALTH Dental, we aim to unite the importance of proper dental care and your overall health for a more comprehensive approach to providing healthcare services.
By coordinating care with your physician, we aim to address not just your oral health needs but your overall health and well-being.
Contact us today to schedule an appointment at one of our many convenient offices!