Water and Dental Health
Water is the by far, the healthiest drink available. Our bodies are 60% water, and staying hydrated is vital as it helps your system regulate healthy nutrients, gets rid of waste substances, and keeps your muscles moving.
Your saliva is 99% water. By consuming sufficient amounts of water, your saliva is produced at an optimal rate. When you are low on saliva, you will most likely experience dry mouth. This makes chewing and swallowing difficult due to the lack of saliva. It is your mouth’s first defense against tooth decay. Saliva washes away residual food particles, helps you chew and swallow with ease and the calcium, phosphate, and fluoride in it keeps your teeth strong.
Water contains fluoride that is responsible for strengthening your teeth. H2O also neutralizes the acidic environment within the mouth, reducing the risk of tooth decay.
Water is a natural mouth cleaner as it washes away leftover food and residue that cavity-causing bacteria feed on. The cavity-causing bacteria in your mouth use this sugar to produce acid that destroys the outer layer of your teeth.
People that consume 1 – 2 sugary beverages per day are at an extremely high risk to develop type 2 diabetes. Substituting fizzy drinks, colas, sugary juices, and sports drinks with a glass of water is a very healthy choice. This significantly reduces the risk for developing dental cavities as well as other systemic complications associated with high sugar consumption. Sweet drinks contain high levels of sugar creating an increased risk of developing dental cavities and gaining weight. So the next time you feel thirsty, reach for that glass of water instead of a coke – it’s calorie-free!
Drinking water not only keeps you hydrated but it also keeps your mouth clean by rinsing away food and the sugars which accumulate around your teeth. The bacteria in our mouths feed on sugars and acids we consume so it is extremely important to maintain a good oral environment to prevent these bacteria from thriving.’