February is a special month. It not only holds the distinction of being the shortest month of the year, but it’s also the month of love, and more importantly, National Children’s Dental Health Month. This year, the theme of National Children’s Dental Health Month is “Water: Nature’s Drink.” To celebrate, let’s discuss some of the ways that water can help improve our smiles and our health!
Why Water?
With our bodies comprised of approximately 60 percent water, and with water covering 71 percent of the earth water truly is nature’s drink. In fact, it’s estimated that the human body cannot go without water for more than three days! In addition to helping keep our bodies healthy, water is also great for our teeth, as it doesn’t contain harmful sugars that cause cavities, and can help wash away dangerous plaque and food particles that cling to our teeth.
Fluoridated Water
In many communities, fluoride is added to the public water supply. This is to increase the strength of our teeth. In fact, adding fluoride to water is estimated to prevent cavities in children by 25 percent. This solves many problems, as children miss an average of 2.1 school days each year due to dental health problems.
Other Benefits of Drinking Water
Water not only helps keep our outsides clean, but it can also be used to keep our insides clean, too! Water helps our kidneys flush out certain toxins, which is why drinking water every single day is essential to our health.
How Much Water Should You Drink?
Though we’ve been taught throughout our lives that eight glasses of water per day is the goal we should be aiming for, current science says that we should be drinking is between half an ounce to an ounce of water per pound of weight, so if your child weighs 60 pounds, he or she should be drinking between 30 to 60 ounces of water each day.
Ultimately, drinking water, in conjunction with an excellent oral health routine, should help reduce your and your child’s risk of cavities and other oral health problems.