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Water and Your Oral Health

2015 March 24
by admin

Choosing hydration wisely for the sake of your teeth.

As the human body is made up of around 80% water, it goes without saying that this fairly tasteless substance is key to human life.

It also plays an important role in your overall oral health in many different ways and we take a look at some of these below:

Teeth cleaning

Water is used when we clean our teeth. This is perhaps an obvious statement, but the fact the the water we clean our teeth with contains fluoride, plays a key role in protecting the enamel of our teeth.

The enamel is the protective layer which, when removed through decay or breakage, increases the likelihood of infections of the inner pulp and the risk of severe toothache.

To increase the effectiveness of the fluoride, at Alexandra Dental Care, we now advise our patients from Ashby to spit following brushing their teeth, but not to rinse as this just removes the fluoride from the teeth.

Hydration

Hydration is also important to oral health. Having a dry mouth is one of the factors leading to an increase in the gingival bacteria that can lead to bad breath and gum disease.

Whilst the odd dry mouth won’t make your teeth fall out; if you suffer from a dry mouth on a regular basis, you need to consider hydrating yourself more effectively.

High risk groups such as diabetics also need to monitor their fluid intake carefully as they are especially prone to suffering from gum disease.

Sports Drinks

The choice of fluids is important when considering hydration. Many shops in the Ashby de la Zouch area have an attractive display of colourful sports drinks and these can look very tempting on a hot day when we are thirsty.

Sadly, the increased use of sports drinks is one of the reasons that many dentists are seeing an increase in decay. The reality is that many of these, including those which purport to be a healthy option, contain high amounts of sugar, which, as we all know, is a major cause of tooth decay.

Whilst we don’t wish to appear negative, and the occasional sports drink won’t do you any harm providing that your overall oral health care is good; when you need to hydrate, water should always be your first choice for the sake of your health.

If you have experienced a dry mouth for some time, it is advisable to ensure that you are checked for any signs of gum disease. At Alexandra Dental Care, we have many years of experience in treating this and we will be pleased to see you.

Please call us now on 01283 216347.

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