Dental holidays are always a big deal around here, and National Children’s Dental Health Month is no exception. What better way to draw attention to the importance of caring for your children’s teeth?
Even baby teeth need love – despite the fact that yes, they eventually fall out. Children also miss a lot of school due to poor oral health – an average of 2.1 days per year! Thankfully, cavities in children are easily preventable. For starters, you can reduce their risk of cavities by avoiding sugary drinks like soda and juice. In fact, that’s why this year’s theme is “Water: Nature’s Drink.”
Drinking water is one of the best ways to strengthen your child’s teeth while avoiding cavities from the sugar in juices and sodas. In many communities, water contains fluoride, which has been shown to reduce cavities in children by up to 25%. Fluoride is also present in many ADA recommended toothpaste, further strengthening your child’s teeth as they brush.
Water is also essential for life. In fact, it’s estimated that the human body cannot go without water for more than approximately three days, so it’s very important that our children stay hydrated!
What else can water do for us? Well, in terms of our oral health, it can help generate saliva and mucous, which can assist us in rinsing away food plaque and debris from our teeth. Because our blood is about 90 percent water, drinking water helps keep the blood flowing, and delivers oxygen throughout the body.
Drinking water can also help by aiding in digestion and regulating our body temperature. It helps us remove body waste and toxins, and even helps to keep our airways open. It also helps us absorb vitamins and minerals more efficiently, and even helps with weight loss.
For our kids, water helps keep their bodies and mouths healthy, with the combination of plenty of exercises and a healthy diet. In conjunction with an excellent oral health routine which includes regular dental exams and cleanings, brushing twice a day for two minutes a day, and flossing at least once per day, drinking water is an integral part of your children’s oral and overall health.
