I am fairly certain that you already know that brushing your teeth two times a day and flossing once per day is generally a healthy dental routine. But what else can you do to keep your dental health top-notch? Believe it or not, along with a New Years' resolution diet, drinking water can play a big part. Water is what we are mostly made up of and we need to be drinking up to 8 glasses a day to keep our body in tip-top shape. Most of the time that simply annoys us because we end up in the bathroom all the time, but that is actually how our body is supposed to run. I am 100% sure that it is also a huge help to other parts of our health and surprisingly that can be our dental health too. It is incredible what water can do for our teeth and even our breath. As the mask mandates continue our breath is more important than ever.
One thing that really impacts your daily life and has to do with drinking more water is that it can help clean your teeth. By drinking water, you not only hydrate your body but also flood out your mouth so that residue doesn’t eat at your enamel. Water also helps to wash residue away, just like saliva does. So, any food particles that somehow escape your twice-a-day brushing routine (which you should be sticking to!) are taken care of by water washing it away.
Another benefit that comes with drinking water is that most water has some amount of Fluoride.
We have all heard the rumors about the military tracking our teeth, but Fluoride is known as, “Natures’s cavity fighter”. It’s what resides in almost every kind of toothpaste and is the reason we brush our teeth in the first place. Not only does it wash away food residue, but fluoride is also known to help build up any lost enamel in your teeth. This allows your teeth to stay on top of the constant tug of war with bacteria.
I think one of the absolute best things that water does is that it keeps your mouth hydrated and increases saliva flow. Believe it or not, saliva is the body's first shield against tooth decay. Saliva helps wash away unwanted food and covers your teeth with calcium phosphate and fluoride. Because water keeps your mouth hydrated, it allows your salivary glands to work better, so drink a little more of it. Water helps to fight dry mouth. If your mouth is dry, your teeth risk erosion simply because saliva flow is low, which means your mouth won’t be as healthy and active in killing and washing away harmful bacteria. So fill up your water bottle of choice and get to sipping.
