Prevent Gum Disease with Healthy Hydration
When it comes to gum health, your Long Island periodontist plays a key role in prevention. You are an important player, too, because you provide the water, hygiene, and nutrients that keep gums – and your body – in the pink. Healthy hydration means drinking an adequate amount of water daily to keep yourself at the peak of health.
How Can You Tell If You Have Gum Disease
Some early signs of gum disease, also called periodontal disease, include red, swollen, painful gums. If you have these symptoms, your first course of action should be seeing your Long Island periodontist, who specializes in treating gum disease. With almost 50 percent of Americans over 30 having some type of gum disease, according to the CDC, you are certainly not alone. If you share specific risk factors, such as smoking and other tobacco use, you are even more likely to run into periodontal problems. Diabetes and poor oral hygiene put you at greater risk too.
The Healing Powers of Water
Meeting our body’s need for water is essential to staying healthy. You metabolize the water you drink throughout all your systems. From optimizing blood circulation to lubricating your joints, water is the special sauce that promotes overall good health.
In your mouth, water plays an important cleansing role. When you take a drink, the water washes over your teeth, gums, and palate, sweeping up damaging bacteria and acids in its wake and whisking them away for elimination. This natural cleansing action, combined with regular brushing and flossing, is critical to your oral health. Without adequate hygiene and hydration, your mouth becomes dry and bacteria gains a foothold, causing gum inflammation and pain.
What Happens When You Don’t Hydrate
Dehydration occurs when you don’t provide enough liquids to hydrate your body. Not only does it cause symptoms like nausea, dizziness and confusion, but if left unresolved, dehydration causes more serious problems too.
The same is true of your mouth. Without enough water, you have less saliva, which causes dry mouth. Saliva, along with the liquids you drink, rinses out the bacteria and acids that multiply in your teeth and gums. If your mouth is too dry, these damaging elements stay put, contributing to tooth decay and gum disease. Small particles of food also can remain lodged in your teeth and just beneath your gums, as well.
On the flip side, adequate hydration promotes saliva production. It rinses the impurities that cause plaque buildup on your teeth and gums. It keeps your mouth moist which provides the healthy condition that is essential to your oral health.
How Much Should You Hydrate?
Your body is between 50 and 75 percent water. The amount of liquids each person needs for oral and overall health varies. Several factors increase your healthy water quotient, such as:
- If you are larger than average
- If your lifestyle is active
- If you work out/exercise regularly
- If the weather is hot, causing you to sweat
- If you have diarrhea or are vomiting
On average, you should consume between 11.5 and 15.5 cups of liquid daily, depending on the factors above. That does not all have to be water as other non-sugary, non-acidic beverages like herbal tea and sparkling water work just as well. Keep in mind that, on average, you get about 20 percent of your daily liquids from the foods you eat. Fruits and vegetables are a great source for hydration.
How to Make Healthy Hydration a Habit
One tried and true way to remind yourself to drink water throughout the day is to carry a water bottle with you. This is a good habit to adopt, not only at the gym or at outdoor activities, but everywhere. If necessary, you can even set a timer on your phone as a second reminder to hydrate.
When you choose liquids for hydration, it’s a good idea to leave out sugary beverages, alcoholic drinks and caffeinated drinks. These may contain substances that are not strictly healthy, or they might make you feel fuller, so you don’t hydrate properly.
Also, practice balanced nutrition in your daily diet. Lots of fruits and vegetables, protein, vitamins, and minerals are essential to good health. Some fruits and veggies, like apples, even help cleanse the surfaces of your teeth while hydrating your mouth. It’s a great combination for preventing gum disease.
Seeing your periodontist at Long Island Dental Specialty is the final piece of the oral health puzzle. Not only will your periodontist team examine and evaluate your gums for signs of disease, but they also have great advice for maintaining healthy gums in the future. They also treat gum disease as needed. Make sure you do your part with hydration, eating healthy, and practicing dedicated oral hygiene.
Get in touch with us at Long Island Dental Specialty today to make your next appointment. By preventing, identifying, and treating gum disease, we’ll help keep your mouth pain-free and healthy.
