It’s no secret that sugary, acidic drinks are a constant threat to the health of your teeth and gums. While many people know that drinking water doesn’t pose a threat to your teeth, did you know that it can actually help them?
Important Benefits That Drinking Water Brings To Oral Health
Considering that our body is made up of over 60% water, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that it provides numerous important benefits in good oral health. Below we’ll cover the reasons that trading in your soda, even sugar-free soda, for water is going to help you maintain a bright, beautiful smile for a lifetime.
- It Makes Your Teeth Stronger – In almost every town and city throughout the country, the local water is fortified with fluoride. Fluoride provides important benefits to your teeth, making them stronger and more resistant to decay. It also plays a role in remineralization, or the ability of your teeth to recover from minor decay.
- A Natural Cleanser – While soda, juice, and sports drinks may be tastier than drinking water, especially to those with a sweet tooth, they come with a load of damaging sugar. The bacteria in our mouth responsible for decay love sugar and will thrive on it. The additional acid these drinks contain doesn’t help either. Water, however, is free from sugar and acid and actually rinses away this kind of debris with every sip.
- Put An End To Dry Mouth – It may surprise you to learn that dry mouth poses a significant risk to your dental health. Saliva does more than just lubricate our mouth and help break down food; it also serves as our first line of protection against dental decay. Drinking water helps to keep saliva flowing and keeps your mouth moist if you have a condition that results in dry mouth.
- No Calories – No matter how much water you drink, you’re never going to gain a pound of fat. Water contains no calories at all, so it’s safe to drink no matter what kind of diet you’re on. Be aware that it is entirely possible to drink too much water, but it requires a significant effort to do so.
This list focuses only on the benefits water brings to your oral health. The benefits it brings to your overall health are countless, and staying hydrated has beauty benefits as well.
How Much Water You Should Drink In A Day
How much water you should drink in a day is largely dependent on the amount of activity you have in a day and the details of your environment. In average temperatures with a normal level of activity, eight 8 oz glasses a day is enough to keep your body at optimum hydration. The colder or warmer the temperature is, the more water you should drink.
