How Drinking Water Helps Oral Health

Overland Park Family Dental
Tue, 13 Feb 2018 22:22:50 +0000
Dental Health, Dental Tips

Read our blog post to learn how drinking water can help you maintain healthy teeth and gums. From fighting cavities to washing away food debris to increasing saliva production, water improves your oral health. To learn more about how water can help your smile, call our Overland Park Family Dental office!

The post How Drinking Water Helps Oral Health appeared first on Overland Park Family Dental.

It’s no secret that hydration is important. It helps you maintain your body’s fluid balance, lose weight, improve your skin, and more. However, it also has many oral health benefits! At Overland Park Family Dental, we encourage our patients to drink eight 8-ounce glasses of water each day, or about a half-gallon.

Today, we want to talk about some of the many benefits that drinking more water can have on your pearly whites!

Out With the Bad

The most obvious benefit of drinking more water is that it helps wash away any left-over food particles after eating. By drinking water after a meal, you can get rid of bad bacteria before it has a chance to build up on your teeth. Water can also dilute the acids produced by bacteria. While drinking water after eating is no substitute for proper preventive care – brushing, flossing, and regular visits to our office – it can help you keep your teeth healthy and strong!

In With the Good

Drinking water treated with fluoride is an easy way to fight cavities. Your local tap water probably contains fluoride, a practice endorsed by the American Medical Association and the American Dental Association. Fluoride helps strengthen your teeth and prevent tooth decay.

Increase Saliva

Although you may not think that increasing your saliva is a good thing, saliva is your body’s first defense against tooth decay and infection. It also contains enzymes that break down and help you digest your food. Saliva is 99% water, so when you’re dehydrated, you experience a dry mouth that makes it harder to chew and swallow. Drink water regularly to ensure that you avoid dry mouth and produce enough saliva.

We hope learning more about the benefits of drinking water has inspired you to stay hydrated! To schedule your next appointment with Dr. Gallagher or to ask any questions, call us today at (913) 326-1952.

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