For a happy smile, don’t forget to drink water! Dehydration affects your entire body. It can reduce brain function, energy levels, and physical capacity. Sufficient hydration can combat these negative effects, as well as other positive things like making skin look less wrinkled, reducing risk of kidney stones, reducing constipation, and even helping individuals lose weight! Water is also great for your smile. Water cleans the mouth of food pieces and other debris. Fluoridated water (available to 75% of the United States) is even more beneficial, as it delivers a fortifying substance (fluoride) to your tooth enamel.
Clearly, it is a great idea to get a lot of water into your daily routine! Here are some tips to remember as you try for a habit of hydration.
First, eat more vegetables and fruit. Doing so will improve your overall health as well as your oral health. And, their high water content will contribute to your hydration–in fact, the majority of people obtain up to 20% of their hydration from food.
Second, try infusing plain water with non-citrus fruits and vegetables. Citrus coats your teeth in acid and can erode enamel, causing cavities. Try other delicious flavors, like rosemary-watermelon or cucumber-mint.
Third, make sure water is easily accessible! It is more likely that you will drink the proper amount of water and stay hydrated if you have water directly on hand. Keep a bottle or two at your desk, in your car, or in your bag.
For more information, call Wendy Quiroz, DDS in Clovis, California, at 559-299-9211. Dr. Wendy Quiroz and our team are happy to help!