I want to you think about your mouth right now. Focus on how it feels.

Notice anything? If you’re dehydrated, your mouth might feel like it’s coated in sandpaper; in which case, go and drink a drink of water. I’m not going anywhere.

Now then: You might be aware that dehydration can be pretty bad for your overall health – but did you know that it can cause you to lose your teeth?

I wish I was making this up, but sad to say, it’s 100% true.

Nothing To Spit At

All of the pieces which make up your smile play an important part in maintaining its health. From the orthodontic health of your teeth to the cleanliness of your gums, your mouth is more than the sum of its parts – yet all it takes is for one of those components to malfunction or stop working altogether, and you can start thinking of your teeth like a row of dominoes waiting to be knocked over, one after another.

You probably don’t realize it, but saliva has a lot going for it when it comes to protecting your smile from harm. Not only does saliva contain trace amounts of calcium (enabling it to actually repair your tooth enamel), but it contains certain chemicals that act as antibacterial and antifungal agents, keeping your smile safe.

In many cases, I will determine after a brief interview with a patient that a lack of regular brushing and flossing has compounded an already shaky situation. By failing to brush and floss, you’re inviting gingivitis into your smile.

As you may or may not know, gingivitis is a pre-cursor disease to full-blown gum disease, or periodontitis. Due to constant dehydration, this invitation becomes a red carpet for bacteria that didn’t have to fear saliva keeping them in check.

A quick examination of your receding, puffy gums will tell me almost everything I need to know. Ans and what I want you to takeaway from this blog post more than anything – is that gum disease is completely avoidable, as is inviting certain ruin to your smile by failing to keep hydrated.

Your Mouth Is Part of Your Body

People seem to forget this. Maybe it’s because general medical physicians treat one set of organs, and Burke dentists like me treat another. It’s like an Iron Curtain of sorts, the way people tend to perceive this separation between their oral health and their overall physical health.

But you’d be foolish to think this. A massive body of scientific evidence grows by the year pointing out the different links between poor oral health and poor overall health.

For example: If you don’t come to see me while there’s still time, then you could join the tens of thousands of Americans who are suffering from a seemingly unrelated health condition that is actually linked with gum disease. Strokes, heart disease, Alzheimer’s disease, and many more terrible, life-threatening illness have been shown to have their origins, in part, with gum disease.

It’s a complicated topic, and one that I recommend you do some additional reading about so that you can have a comprehensive understand of the link between your oral health and your body’s health – and that includes drinking plenty of water.

Common Sense Goes A Long Way

The conventional wisdom holds that an adult should drink about eight ounces of water a day. Although it seems like that number falls victim to the same pop-science reporting that has us re-evaluating the dangers and benefits of eggs every few years or so, a good rule of thumb to live by is also a simple one when it comes to staying hydrated: Whenever you’re thirsty, drink some water until you are no longer thirsty.

There. I just saved you time, money, and pain.

Make A Difference Now
But you don’t have to wind up like this. In fact, I want you to make your appointment with me, either for yourself or for a loved one, so that I can examine your smile to make sure that the summer heat isn’t already taking its toll on your pearly whites.

So please, reach out to me at 248-972-8720. Or you can just make your appointment online by filling out this simple web form.