There are many reasons why it is important to stay hydrated. Dental health being one of them! Tap water helps in so many aspects to our body that it is important to acknowledge its benefits. So in today’s article we shall be addressing what makes it so special.
We shall be addressing things like its relationship with fluoride, how it prevents dry mouth, the many advantages it brings to our health and some other tips from Los Algodones dentists.
Fluoride present in tap water
As you know, fluoride is a mineral that naturally occurs in water, and is of great benefit to our teeth. it is often called nature’s cavity fighter due how it strengthens and helps remineralizing.
For this reason, public water supplies all over the world mix a very tiny amount of fluoride for its dental benefits. The safe measures they use are around 0.7ppm to 1.2ppm
Remineralization of the teeth
Throughout use and constant chewing, it is normal for our teeth to lose some of its minerals. This is where saliva and fluoride come in and repair that damage.
Bacteria and misuse of our teeth lead to our tooth enamel wearing down faster than it should. This leads to tooth sensitivity, tooth decay, among other issues.
How it helps against dry mouth
Dry mouth, known also as xerostomia, is a concern as we grow older. It hinders our mouth’s abilities to produce saliva, which leads to many tooth related problems.
In order to avoid this, drinking water and generally staying hydrated helps immensely. Not only does water give what your body needs, but it also increases saliva production. Saliva is known to suppress and halt bacteria growth, so it plays a major role in our dental health.
Advantages and benefits of drinking tap water
We have mentioned some of the benefits that tap water has on our teeth. But in order to wrap it up furthermore, here we have some items that I am sure every dentist in Los Algodones can agree with:
- Strengthens your teeth. Fluoridated tap water helps rebuilding the lost enamel on our pearly whites.
- Rinsing your mouth with water helps greatly. Not only are you dislodging food and getting rid of bacteria, but also improving saliva growth.
- Prevents tooth decay. The fluoride inside tap water keeps our teeth strong and going.
- Healthy for the body. With no extra calories or additives, water proves to be not only beneficial but also healthy.
Other sources of fluoride
It is very beneficial to have a daily intake of fluoride, at least in adults. When it comes to little ones, however, we have to make sure they are taking the right amount and not more as it can lead to fluorisis. For these cases, we as parents have to make sure our children are not ingesting toothpaste.
Putting that aside, there are plenty of ways to get your intake of fluoride, such as:
- Fluoride naturally occurs in food as well. Some examples are black tea, avocado, peaches, lettuce, and many more.
- Toothpaste. A toothpaste with fluoride is our major and most important intake of fluoride. It is good to brush twice a day to not only keep our teeth away from bacteria’s harm, but also to help them strengthen.
- Mouthwash. Some therapeutic mouthwashes have fluoride in them. This is perfect as if you are lacking from a good source, then you can take advantage of this option.
- Dentist. Upon visiting the dental office, it is possible that our dentist sees a fluoride deficiency in our smile. In these cases they will issue you with a fluoride paste meant to be applied for about a minute onto the teeth.