How Water Affects Dental Health
Water is easily one of the best things you can give to your body. It’s a necessity. It helps our muscles and organs work properly, it helps our joints bend and move, and it even keeps our skin looking fresh and clear. However one thing water doesn’t get a lot of credit for is helping dental health. Beyond brushing and flossing often, dentists recommend staying hydrated to keep your teeth healthy. Children, in particular, should be forming good water drinking habits as their teeth grow. If you want to maintain the pearly whites you already have, or make sure your children have healthy teeth in the future, here are some reasons to drink water.
Water keeps your teeth strong
You have probably already heard about fluoride in the water. It’s a natural cavity fighter that strengthens your teeth by preventing decay. When your teeth are still growing, the mineral bonds with the tooth’s enamel - the hard coating around your teeth. That creates a harder defense against plaque and sugar that can begin to wear on them. When you already have your adult teeth, the fluoride mixes with your saliva to also protect that enamel. For both children and adults, fewer cavities means a healthier mouth.
Water keeps your mouth clean and prevents it from getting dry
In a way that other liquids can’t, water flushes out all sorts of bacteria in your mouth. After you eat a meal, bacteria left behind could produce an acid that hurts the integrity of your enamel. Some food and drinks are even acidic themselves, like most sodas. However every time you take a drink of water, you’re not only washing away harmful bacteria but also diluting the acid already in there. Saliva also keeps leftover food and bacteria out of your teeth and bonds with fluoride to keep them strong. When you’re dehydrated your saliva supply starts to run low, which leads to potential harm to your teeth as well. So follow up most meals with water. An apple is a delicious and healthy snack for children, but remember to drink water afterwards.
Drinking more water means drinking less sugary drinks
There are a lot of great reasons to cut sugar out of your diet and drinks are a huge source. Even 100 percent fruit juice can have over 20 grams of sugar per cup while sodas might have over 40 grams. You could be getting your entire recommended sugar intake in one glass! Or worse, more than the recommended amount for your kids. That certainly puts you at a higher chance of developing cavities.
Getting enough water in your diet is crucial to live happily and healthy. Try water drinking habits like setting daily water consuming goals. Make a game out of it for children with sticker charts or special water drinking cups. However most of all set a good example every day. If you don’t do it for your heart, your skin, or your muscles, do it for your teeth!
You’re more likely to absentmindedly drink water if it is easily accessible. And once you invest in a reusable water bottle it will easily become your best friend. Purchase a few - keep one in your car, one by your bedside, and one in the fridge. Make sure it’s one of the first things you see so you can’t forget.
Drink other liquids less
If you limit the amount of juice or soda you’re taking in, you’re more likely to reach for a glass of water. Try some more hydrating alternatives that aren’t full of sugar. Move from soda to sparkling water and try putting citrus or other fruits in your water to add an extra element. Or find new decaffeinated herbal teas without sweetener that you love.
Get in the habit of drinking water before you eat
Your body often mistakes being dehydrated for being hungry. Not only are you less likely to overstuff yourself, but it’s a great moment to pause and reflect on how much water you’ve taken in that day.
Eat more foods that are high in water
Luckily your body doesn’t get all of the water you take in from drinking alone. Lots of delicious fruits and veggies are over 90 per cent of water. Eat more salads with lots of lettuce, celery, and cucumbers, for example. Or pick up a melon next time you’re grocery shopping. There are lots of hydrating options that won’t feel like a chore to eat.
Drink water as soon as you get out of bed and before you get in
Thinking of drinking water like brushing your teeth, it’s a tiny chore we do every day to keep ourselves healthy. If you tie it with your morning or nightly routine, you are more likely to remember and keep to it.
The best way to make sure you’re getting enough water every day is to learn to love it. Once you start feeling the difference, you will never want to go back!