Staying hydrated is crucial to your overall well-being. Your body consists primarily of water, so you must replenish water by drinking it throughout the day. This will help your organs function and your skin stay radiant and fresh. But drinking water will support your oral health too.
Dentists and doctors agree that to maintain adequate hydration, you should drink at least eight eight-ounce glasses of water per day. If you consume dehydrating agents like caffeine or alcohol, you should drink even more water to counteract them.
Feel more encouraged to drink the water your smile needs when you know the specifics about its advantages. Check out three oral health benefits you can experience when you drink plenty of water.
Enhance Oral Cleanliness
Your oral health relies on moisture within the mouth. Saliva helps keep your smile healthy in multiple ways, including washing plaque and other particles from your teeth.
Throughout the day, natural oral bacteria cling to your teeth to form a sticky film called plaque. Plaque will eat away at your teeth over time, putting them in danger of cavities, so you need to remove plaque in a timely fashion.
Saliva production can only do so much to clean your smile. You will need to complement this natural process by brushing and flossing your teeth. However, you will consume foods that contribute to plaque formation between these oral hygiene regimens.
Drinking a glass of water, especially after a meal, can rinse excess plaque and residues from your teeth. This can boost oral hygiene and keep your breath smelling fresh.
Fight Dry Mouth
A dry mouth can feel tacky and uncomfortable, but this condition can pose a threat to your oral health too. Dry mouth develops when you cannot produce enough saliva to maintain a moist oral environment.
Without saliva, oral hygiene can take a hit. But dry mouth also allows oral bacteria to travel across the teeth with ease. This can heighten your risk of infections like gum disease.
Staying hydrated by drinking enough water will reduce your risk of dry mouth and prevent oral infections. Plus, sipping a glass of water can introduce moisture to the mouth to treat acute cases of dry mouth.
Strengthen Your Teeth with Fluoride
Drinking water can make your teeth stronger and more resistant to certain dental problems when it contains fluoride. Tap water is a good source of fluoride, a natural mineral that absorbs into the enamel of the teeth to fortify their structure.
Keeping your enamel strong with fluoride in water can help your teeth better fight tooth decay, surface stains, and more. Learn more about the role of water in preventive dentistry when you give your dentist a call. Make sure you attend regular dental check-ups at your dentist’s office to maximize oral hygiene and other benefits that preserve the look and feel of your smile.