Hot summer weather offers the perfect opportunity for many outdoor activities, like hanging out at the pool or the beach. But high temperatures can quickly lead you to become dehydrated, a condition that poses medical risks and can be detrimental to your dental health as well.
Dentists and medical experts agree that you should drink eight eight-ounce glasses of water each day to maintain adequate hydration. You may require more water than this if you intend to spend time outside in the heat.
But a glass of water can offer more advantages to your smile than you might guess. Read on to learn about three oral health benefits that you can experience when you drink plenty of water.
Boost Your Oral Hygiene
Throughout your day, the natural bacteria in your mouth form a film of plaque over your teeth that can eat away at your tooth enamel. You remove this plaque along with other harmful residues by completing your oral hygiene routine. Proper oral hygiene includes brushing your teeth twice each day and flossing on a daily basis.
However, plaque can impact your smile in between your tooth-brushing regimens. Drinking a glass of water can rinse lingering food particles from your teeth, leaving your smile feeling clean and healthy.
These particles will then be unable to contribute to plaque formation, lowering your risk for many dental concerns. Without food trapped in your teeth, you can see a decrease in the formation of bad breath, too.
Prevent Periodontal Issues
If you do not drink enough water, you may experience dehydration, which can lead to a decrease in saliva production in the mouth. This will leave you with dry mouth, creating an environment where bacteria can spread with ease across your teeth and, therefore, heighten your risk of oral infections like gum disease.
Gum disease will require intervention from your dentist to treat. It may also cause irreversible dental damage, including tooth loss, if you do not get rid of the problem promptly. This is why dentists emphasize preventative care when it comes to gum health. For information on gum disease treatment, visit Periodontal therapy.
To spend less time in the dentist’s chair, you should take precautionary measures for your oral health. Drinking plenty of water will stave off dry mouth and, therefore, decrease the chances of developing periodontal concerns.
Strengthen Your Teeth
Many popular beverages, like soft drinks, contain high amounts of added sugar. Infamously, sugar becomes acidic when it reacts with saliva and can erode the enamel of your teeth. Water makes a healthier choice in beverages because it has zero sugar. This way, you can avoid harming your teeth due to decay and other dental dangers.
Water can also contain fluoride, which will absorb into tooth enamel and fortify it. This makes your teeth better able to resist surface stains and other types of damage from plaque. You can lower your risk of cavities by choosing to drink water rather than another type of beverage.
Ask your dentist for more preventative oral health care advice. You can schedule an appointment online by calling our office at 973.287.3337.