Water is essential for human beings, and when your baby starts to eat solid food, they can start to drink water too. To stay healthy, kids aged between one and three years need about four cups of beverages per day. Kids between four and eight should drink about five cups, and older children will need seven or eight cups.
While many beverages can help your child stay hydrated, water can be the most beneficial option to keep their developing smiles looking and feeling their best. Read on to learn the oral health advantages you can give your children when you help them stay hydrated.
Give Oral Hygiene a Boost
When your child starts growing their first teeth, they must start taking care of their smiles with good oral hygiene. This means brushing their teeth at least twice a day and flossing. But kids might still be learning proper techniques for cleaning their smiles effectively, and they might leave some plaque and harmful residues on their teeth.
This may mean oral bacteria will remain on their smiles, eating away at their dental structures. Then the teeth will weaken, leaving them vulnerable to cavities and other dental dangers.
Drinking water will rinse the mouth of lingering food particles that can contribute to plaque formation between teeth-brushing regimens. Then they can have a boost in oral hygiene that can keep their teeth protected. Even primary teeth require this preventative dental care so that their deterioration does not impact permanent teeth yet to grow.
Beat Dry Mouth
If kids do not drink enough water, they can become dehydrated. This presents several health risks, including threats to their oral health. Low hydration levels mean the mouth will produce less saliva, which can leave a dental patient with dry mouth.
Not only will the dry, tacky sensation feel uncomfortable, but oral bacteria can spread easily in this environment. Then the young patient can have a higher risk of oral infections like gum disease. Gum disease can wreak serious and irreversible havoc on oral health, so dentists recommend preventative care when it comes to gum health.
Preserve your child’s gum health by eliminating risk factors like dry mouth. Make sure they stay hydrated and drink plenty of water.
Strengthen Teeth with Fluoride, Not Sugar
Many children may prefer sugary sodas and juices to water, but these beverages can hurt dental health. Acid from citrus juices can erode tooth enamel to weaken the teeth. And sugar becomes acidic when it reacts with saliva, posing another threat to the dental structure.
Water, however, can strengthen the tooth enamel, making it better resistant to cavities and surface stains, when it contains fluoride. This naturally occurring mineral can be found in tap water. And it absorbs into the teeth to fortify them.
A pediatric dentist can offer further preventative oral health care along with nutrition tips that can help your child’s smile when you schedule a dentist appointment.