Drinking water is healthy for our bodies. It’s the healthiest drink out there, which keeps our skin and other organs healthy. But did you know that water is beneficial for your oral health too? Below are some of the ways that water is good for your teeth!

Acts as a mouth cleaner

Drinking anything helps wash down your food, but drinks like juice, sports drinks, and soda only leave unwanted sugars behind on your teeth.

It strengthens teeth

The U.S. is one of the few countries that adds fluoride in its water. Fluoride in the water fights cavity and is one of the best things for your teeth. It is a natural element that mixes with tooth enamel in growing teeth that helps prevent tooth decay.

It keeps your mouth from being dry

A dry mouth contributes to tooth decay. That is because saliva is a great defense against tooth decay. Minerals in saliva like calcium and phosphate help your teeth fight against tooth decay. With a dry mouth, you produce less saliva, which will only help tooth decay. Drinking water helps prevent dry mouth and prevents tooth decay in return.

It is calorie-less!

You may think that it has nothing to do with oral health, but it does! Most other drinks contain tons of sugar, which is a major contributor to tooth decay. By drinking water, you are not adding any extra sugar to your meal. Moreover, it helps to lose weight, so it’s even more guilt-free!

Bad breath fighter

Drinking water helps fight against bad breath. Dry mouth causes “Morning breath,” and drinking water throughout the day helps with that. Water also washes away food particles and tooth decay, which can also contribute towards bad breath and keep bad breath from forming in the first place.

If you have any queries about how to help pair up other fluoride treatments with drinking water, don’t hesitate to call Smiles on Greatwood Dentistry at 281-937-7530.

When patients are asked to go for “periodontal maintenance,” they often ask why because all they want is normal teeth cleaning. If your dentist recommends that you be scheduled for periodontal maintenance, and if you notice the difference between the costs for these procedures, here is a brief explanation:

Regular Cleaning vs Periodontal Maintenance

Prophylaxis, or Regular Cleaning

Regular cleaning is for patients with no periodontal disease, bone loss, or infection around the teeth. There should be no mobility of the teeth or bleeding, or receded areas, where the spaces around the roots of the teeth are open. In simpler words, the mouth should be healthy with no bone or gum-related issues.

Regular cleaning removes tartar, soft plaque, and stains from the teeth above the gum line. It is usually done 2 to 3 times a year, depending on how quickly plaque, stain, and tartar accumulate.

Periodontal Maintenance (PM)

Regular cleaning is not appropriate if you have:

• periodontal disease resulting in bone loss
• bleeding gums
• exposed root surfaces
• gum “pockets” deeper than 4 millimeters
• had periodontal surgery
• or root planing to treat periodontal surgery
• or root planing to treat periodontal disease

PM scaling maintains bone and gum health. This procedure removes tartar and plaque from above and below the gum line, all the way down the length of each tooth.

You may need to go for PM 3 to 4 times a year. It depends on several factors like, how:

• quickly the plaque and tartar accumulate
• stable the present condition is
• much bleeding or inflammation is present
• well you can maintain your teeth at home daily

If you would like to learn more about regular cleaning vs. periodontal maintenance, please contact our office. To schedule an appointment with your Sugar Land dentist, call at 281-937-7530. We will be happy to hear from you.