Dental Health: It’s easy to take something as simple as drinking water for granted. If you don’t drink water, you won’t be around for very long. Everyone knows that. But what is not so obvious is the effect that drinking more water can have on the health and appearance of your teeth and smile, making it less likely that you would need to make an appointment with your local dentist.
Drinking water is absolutely essential for good general health and proper dental health. One thing that drinking water does for you is keep your mouth moist. If you have a dry mouth, you tend to have bad breath. Drinking water also flushes away food particles that could otherwise linger and feed oral bacteria that cause tooth decay and periodontal disease.
Benefits of drinking more water for dental health
- Saliva buffers your pH levels, protecting against tooth decay.
- Drinking plenty of water helps maintain good general health.
- Water helps produce saliva to rinse away food particles and neutralize acids.
- Drinking water dilutes acids created by plaque.
Creates More Saliva
When you drink more water, you are creating more saliva in your mouth, which helps keep your mouth clean and healthy. Not only can a dry mouth contribute to bad breath, it can cause plaque to proliferate in your mouth, leading to tooth decay and cavities.
Drinking more water rinses away food debris and creates more saliva to provide a more unfavorable environment for all of that damaging oral bacteria.
Normalizes pH Levels
An acidic environment in your mouth can weaken your tooth enamel and lead to the development of cavities over time. Highly acidic foods can throw off your pH balance, creating an environment that damages your teeth.
With a neutral pH level of seven, water helps balance out your pH levels so that harmful acids are rinsed away every time you drink a nice, refreshing glass or bottle of water.
Strengthens Your Pearly Whites
When you drink regular tap water, it should contain fluoride to help you fight cavities. Fluoride is a mineral that can help strengthen your teeth. The use of fluoride is endorsed by the American Dental Association and is contained in most municipal drinking water supplies available through your tap.
Healthy Alternative to Sugary Beverages
As tempting as they may be, sodas, energy drinks, and sugary fruit juice can damage your teeth and affect your entire body. Simple, basic water is a refreshing and healthy drink that helps ensure that your body is functioning at its very best.
So whenever you are tempted to reach out for a sugary beverage, choose instead a healthy glass of drinking water to support both your overall health and your dental health.
