{"id":211,"date":"2023-06-23T17:36:00","date_gmt":"2023-06-23T17:36:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.bristolfamilydentalct.com\/blog\/?p=211"},"modified":"2023-07-23T17:39:29","modified_gmt":"2023-07-23T17:39:29","slug":"drink-more-water-for-a-healthy-smile","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.bristolfamilydentalct.com\/blog\/2023\/06\/23\/drink-more-water-for-a-healthy-smile\/","title":{"rendered":"Hydration is the Key to Good Oral Health"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-212\" src=\"https:\/\/www.bristolfamilydentalct.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/water-2-300x200.jpg\" alt=\"Woman sipping a glass of water\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.bristolfamilydentalct.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/water-2-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.bristolfamilydentalct.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/water-2-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.bristolfamilydentalct.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/water-2-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.bristolfamilydentalct.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/water-2-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.bristolfamilydentalct.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/water-2.jpg 1645w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/>Warmer weather is here, which means it&#8217;s easy to become dehydrated. If you have too little water in your body, it can lead to life-threatening complications. Did you know dehydration can also harm your oral health? Believe it or not, H2O is a key piece to a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bristolfamilydentalct.com\/cleanings-prevention.html\">healthy smile<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><!--more--><\/p>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Dehydration Affects Your Oral Health<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Dehydration will decrease saliva production. While you might think that&#8217;s a good thing, it&#8217;s a sign you need to drink more water right away. Saliva keeps your mouth moist and rinses bacteria from your teeth in between brushing and flossing.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If your mouth gets too dry, it becomes a perfect environment for oral bacteria. It can grow at a rapid rate, which can lead to bad breath. It can also increase your risk of cavities and gum disease, the leading causes of tooth loss.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Early Signs of Dehydration<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The early stages of dehydration can be subtle. It&#8217;s best to keep an eye out for:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Dark Urine:<\/strong> Urine should be a pale yellow color if you are hydrated.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>A Dry Mouth:<\/strong> Insufficient saliva production can make your mouth dry and uncomfortable.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Headache:<\/strong> Dehydration temporarily shrinks brain tissue, which can cause pain.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Increased Hunger:<\/strong> If you feel hungry again shortly after eating, it can be a symptom of dehydration.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Dizziness or Lightheadedness:<\/strong> A general feeling of illness is common with mild-to-moderate dehydration.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Fatigue:<\/strong> Feeling tired or exhausted can occur if the body does not have enough water to function correctly.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Bad Breath:<\/strong> Bad breath means there&#8217;s an overgrowth of bacteria in your mouth.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Hydration Supports a Healthy Smile<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Healthcare professionals recommend drinking at least eight 8oz glasses of water each day. However, the amount you need depends on your activity level, temperature, and individual requirements.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you have any signs of dehydration, drink a glass or two of water right away. Skip fruit juices, soda, and alcohol because they can make dehydration worse and feed harmful bacteria in your mouth. Instead, reach for a glass of tap water.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Fluoride is added to many public water sources because it is a proven cavity fighter. You can stay hydrated and promote strong enamel by drinking from the tap.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If a dry mouth continues to be an issue, despite drinking more water, it&#8217;s time to talk to your dentist. It can be a symptom of an underlying issue or medication. They&#8217;ll create the personalized plan you need to keep your mouth moist, so your smile stays healthy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>About Dr. Arabella Christian<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bristolfamilydentalct.com\/meet-dr-christian.html\">Dr. Christian<\/a> achieved her dental degree from the University of Connecticut School of Dental Medicine and continued her education for 3 years in endodontics. She regularly completes additional training to provide specialty services. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bristolfamilydentalct.com\/request-an-appointment.html\">Request an appointment<\/a> through our website or call (860) 986-6476.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Warmer weather is here, which means it&#8217;s easy to become dehydrated. If you have too little water in your body, it can lead to life-threatening complications. Did you know dehydration can also harm your oral health? Believe it or not, H2O is a key piece to a healthy smile.<\/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-211","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bristolfamilydentalct.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/211","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bristolfamilydentalct.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bristolfamilydentalct.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bristolfamilydentalct.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bristolfamilydentalct.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=211"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.bristolfamilydentalct.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/211\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":213,"href":"https:\/\/www.bristolfamilydentalct.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/211\/revisions\/213"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bristolfamilydentalct.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=211"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bristolfamilydentalct.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=211"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bristolfamilydentalct.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=211"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}