Drinking water is beneficial for your entire body. It helps your organs and skin remain healthy while keeping you hydrated. Water has no calories or sugars, which helps prevent certain health conditions, like diabetes and obesity. When combined with exercise and a balanced diet, choosing water over other beverages can help you lose weight. You may not know this, but there are plenty of oral health benefits to drinking water as well.
What Are The Oral Health Benefits Of Drinking Water?
1. Drinking water makes your teeth stronger.
2. Drinking water helps you with chronic dry mouth.
3. Drinking water cleanses your mouth.
4. Drinking water helps fight against bad breath.
#1 Drinking Water Makes Your Teeth Stronger
A lot of people do not realize that the mineral fluoride is added to drinking water in the United States. Fluoride is the same ingredient found in your toothpaste. This mineral is important because fluoride is a significant contributor to your oral health. Fluoride helps fight cavities by strengthening your tooth structure, making your teeth resistant to decay, and providing your teeth with a mineral coating to defend against acids and reverse initial tooth decay. Drinking water not only keeps your body hydrated but also protects your teeth.
#2 Drinking Water Helps You With Chronic Dry Mouth
As you get older, the chemical composition of your mouth changes and your saliva flow decreases. Health conditions like diabetes can also lead to xerostomia or a condition that is known as dry mouth. If chronic dry mouth is not addressed, it can lead to tooth decay and eventually tooth loss. Drinking water helps target chronic dry mouth by creating more saliva to keep tooth decay bacteria away. The composition of saliva defends against tooth decay, while the movement of saliva itself washes away tiny bits of food debris that can get stuck between or on the surface of your teeth.
#3 Drinking Water Cleanses Your Mouth
Drinking any liquid can help you wash your dinner down but no fluid works as efficiently as water. Sugary drinks like soda, juice, sports beverages and sweet tea can leave unwanted sugars behind. Gradually, those sugars can lead to potential tooth decay that deteriorates your teeth. The harmful bacteria that live in the human mouth ingest sugar and produce an acid that erodes the protective enamel layer of your teeth. High concentrations of this acid can lead to cavities. Since water contains zero sugar, it washes away the food you eat without leaving any sugar to attract harmful bacteria. Water also helps dilute the acid in your mouth that can potentially damage your teeth.
#4 Drinking Water Helps Fight Against Bad Breath
The amount of water you drink and the phenomenon of morning breath are connected. As you sleep, your mouth gradually dries out and the bacteria in your mouth accumulates. This process causes bad breath. Drinking water consistently throughout the day naturally helps keep your mouth and body hydrated. In addition to drinking plenty of water, make sure you brush, floss, use mouthwash, and practice good oral hygiene to keep your breath even fresher.
What Can I Do About Any Dental Health Problems?
The best way to prevent any serious dental or oral health issues is by visiting your dentist twice a year for regular cleaning and check-ups. If you are concerned about a toothache, worried about potential symptoms of tooth decay, or searching for a family or cosmetic dentist in Tallmadge, OH, consider Sisko Dentistry. Dr. Gerald Sisko has 30 years of experience, and together, the Sisko Dentistry team has 225+ years of experience to offer. Call 330-633-9510 to schedule an appointment today.
