Five Ways That Water Can Help You Maintain A Healthier Mouth

Don’t underestimate the positive role that water can play in the health of our teeth and gums

In many ways, we have become accustomed to looking for technological solutions to all of our problems, from communication to saving the planet.

Technological advances are inevitable and important, of course, but it can also be very useful to go back to basics and look at the essentials in life, whatever area we are looking at. This even applies to dental care.

We are certain that our Canterbury patients approve of the various improvements in oral care over the years, from x-rays, higher speed and finer drills etc, but patients and dentists alike can also benefit from ‘going back to basics’ from time to time.

In today’s Bradley and Partners Dental & Implant Clinic blog, we are going to look at one of the absolute essentials when it comes to maintaining healthy teeth and gums. We are talking about H2O, better known of course, as water.

Brushing your teeth

This is perhaps the most obvious example of how water is used on a daily basis in home dental care. Most of us add a little water to our brush when we clean our teeth. Because we produce saliva though, there isn’t actually any need for us to add water although there is no harm in it either. One thing that is worth mentioning though is that you really should NOT use water afterwards to rinse your mouth. A lot of people do this but it rinses the fluoride away from the teeth, denying it the opportunity to strengthen the tooth enamel as it should. If you find that you do this, try finding a toothpaste that you like the taste of and don’t rinse your mouth after brushing your teeth; just spit.

Swilling the mouth

Despite recommending that you don’t use water after you have brushed your teeth, there are many occasions when it is a great idea to swill water around your mouth and then spit or swallow. When we consume food, it is almost inevitable that small particles of food will get trapped between your teeth or in the gum pockets. Whilst using floss will help to remove this, we probably don’t want to do this after we have eaten, especially in a restaurant. Swilling water around the mouth after eating is a great way to dislodge and flush out trapped food debris. Even if you don’t wish to leave the table and do this, even drinking water after a meal will help to remove food particles as well as washing sugar away from the surface of your teeth. It is important to remember that this doesn’t replace brushing and flossing and you should do this as normal.

Staying Hydrated

One often underestimated important role that water plays in good oral health is helping us to stay hydrated. There are many good reasons to do this and our overall health will benefit if we drink sufficient water. Failing to do this can have a number of effects and this includes leaving us with a dry mouth. As we have mentioned before, a dry mouth provides a perfect breeding environment for potentially harmful oral bacteria. As the number of these get out of control, the risks of gum disease start to rise significantly. Drinking plenty of water will help to prevent this as well as washing away some of the excess bacteria from your mouth. A dry mouth often occurs overnight, especially if you have been drinking alcohol. Try to remember to drink enough water before you go to bed in order to help avoid this problem.

Fluoride

Although many of us drink bottled water today, there is more benefit from drinking tap water in some areas of the country from a dental perspective. Tap water in many areas contains fluoride. This is also present in most toothpastes (check the label if you buy ‘natural’ toothpastes). Although fluoride occurs naturally in water, it doesn’t do so in the quantities that would help to prevent tooth decay and so it is often added to tap water supplies. Fluoride helps to strengthen the enamel on your teeth, helping to prevent problems like tooth decay.

Sugar Free

Finally, providing that we don’t add sugary ingredients such as cordials to our water, it is worth remembering that it is sugar free and far better for our teeth than a fizzy drink or even a coffee, especially ‘speciality’ coffees that many shops sell and which contain very high quantities of sugar. By all means, have the occasional treat but consider that whenever you feel thirsty, water is your best friend and is far better for you (and usually cheaper) than a high sugar soft drink.

Even everyday things can help our oral health if we remember to use them wisely and water is no exception. This doesn’t mean that our Canterbury patients don’t need to see a dentist and we certainly recommend that you do so every six months, along with regular visits to the hygienist . A holistic approach to your oral health is likely to provide the best outcome and you can book your appointments by calling Bradley and Partners Dental & Implant Clinic on 01227 463529.