{"id":169,"date":"2023-07-06T07:54:00","date_gmt":"2023-07-06T07:54:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.kathylamdds.com\/blog\/?p=169"},"modified":"2023-08-18T19:57:34","modified_gmt":"2023-08-18T19:57:34","slug":"what-hydration-can-do-for-your-oral-health","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.kathylamdds.com\/blog\/2023\/07\/06\/what-hydration-can-do-for-your-oral-health\/","title":{"rendered":"What Hydration Can Do for Your Oral Health"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"alignright size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.kathylamdds.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/AdobeStock_159675117__1692388239_43154.jpg\" alt=\"Water filling a glass on a white countertop\" class=\"wp-image-170\" width=\"313\" height=\"164\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.kathylamdds.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/AdobeStock_159675117__1692388239_43154.jpg 800w, https:\/\/www.kathylamdds.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/AdobeStock_159675117__1692388239_43154-300x158.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.kathylamdds.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/AdobeStock_159675117__1692388239_43154-768x405.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 313px) 100vw, 313px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Brushing and flossing your teeth twice a day and using mouthwash daily are probably what come to mind when you think about your oral hygiene routine. However, there\u2019s a hidden third step that has major benefits to your oral health! Drinking plenty of water ensures you are looking after your body and can <a href=\"https:\/\/www.kathylamdds.com\/preventive-dentistry.html\">prevent many dental issues<\/a>. Here\u2019s what hydration can do for your oral health.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<!--more-->\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>The Effects of Hydration on Your Smile<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Water keeps you hydrated, gives you important nutrients, and removes waste from the body. Here are some of the oral health benefits hydration has to offer:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li><strong>Strengthens your teeth <\/strong>\u2013 Drinking water with fluoride is one of the easiest and most beneficial things you can do to prevent cavities.<\/li><li><strong>Saliva production<\/strong> \u2013 Drinking water fights off dry mouth and bad breath and allows saliva production to function as usual. Saliva is your mouth&#8217;s first defense against bacterial growth, tooth decay, and food particles. In short, water keeps your mouth cleaner.<\/li><li><strong>Preventing tooth decay<\/strong> \u2013 Rinsing your mouth with water after having something sugary can dilute the acid in your mouth.<\/li><li><strong>Preventing gingivitis<\/strong> \u2013 Dry gums recede away from your teeth and collect plaque bacteria. If you&#8217;re drinking lots of water, your gums will stay hydrated, clean, and comfortable.<\/li><li><strong>Teeth whitening<\/strong> \u2013 Water helps prevent the formation of stains on your teeth. Swish water in your mouth after you eat or drink pigment-rich foods or beverages to maintain a brighter, whiter smile.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>How to Make Sure You\u2019re Drinking Enough Water<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Everyone\u2019s body is different, so there\u2019s no rule set in stone about how much water you should be drinking in a day. In general, make sure you\u2019re drinking whenever you\u2019re thirsty and stopping when you\u2019re not. However, studies have shown that thirst is not the best indicator for whether or not you\u2019re hydrated. Some people naturally have less sensitivity to thirst.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Make sure to keep a water bottle on hand that you can easily refill throughout the day. Eating fruits and vegetables with high water content can also hydrate you, but water is always the best method for hydration.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You can infuse your water with lemons, limes, oranges, cucumber, watermelon, strawberries, or herbs to offer some variety if drinking water alone isn&#8217;t something you&#8217;re used to. It can also be helpful to tie drinking water to a routine! For instance, drink a glass every time you brush your teeth, eat a meal, or use the bathroom.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>About the Author<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.kathylamdds.com\/meet-your-dentist.html\">Dr. Kathy Lam<\/a> values providing high quality care to satisfy every patients&#8217; unique dental needs. Her services range from routine checkups and cleanings to state-of-the art dental implant restorations to cosmetic dentistry. Dr. Lam is happy to help you achieve all your smile goals. In order to catch oral health issues at their earliest stages, Dr. Lam is proud to offer your standard six-month checkups and cleanings, as well as oral cancer screenings, fluoride treatments, and nightguards. If you want more information on how to protect your teeth, contact Dr. Lam at her <a href=\"https:\/\/www.kathylamdds.com\/contact.html\">website<\/a> or by phone at (630) 653-7720.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Brushing and flossing your teeth twice a day and using mouthwash daily are probably what come to mind when you think about your oral hygiene routine. However, there\u2019s a hidden third step that has major benefits to your oral health! Drinking plenty of water ensures you are looking after your body and can prevent many [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-169","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.kathylamdds.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/169","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.kathylamdds.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.kathylamdds.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kathylamdds.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kathylamdds.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=169"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.kathylamdds.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/169\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":172,"href":"https:\/\/www.kathylamdds.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/169\/revisions\/172"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.kathylamdds.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=169"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kathylamdds.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=169"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kathylamdds.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=169"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}