Summer is here in full force. As we are in the midst of a stretch of 90 degree days, most of us are spending more time outdoors. Getting adequate hydration is especially important during the hot summer days, but we need to pay attention to what we are putting in our bodies.
Lately the ads for soda and sweet tea are bombarding the TV and radio. Not only are we adding unnecessary calories to our diets, but we are also doing some damage to our teeth. After we consume sugar, bacteria in our mouth produce acid that attacks the teeth for at least 20 minutes afterward. These acid attacks contribute to tooth decay. Recently, we have been treating decay in those who haven’t had cavities since childhood because of their sweet drink habit.
The best advice is to drink eight to ten cups of water daily. And if you have to have a sugary drink, drink it with a meal and try to brush with a fluoride toothpaste after.
We also have to be conscientious about the water that we drink. Bottled water often contains little to no fluoride therefore we are not receiving the optimal amount of fluoride to help prevent tooth decay. The FDA does not mandate that the fluoride content be displayed on the label of bottle water unless it has been added during processing. Some home water filtration systems (like reverse osmosis and distillation) also remove the fluoride in the community water supply, so make sure to do research before installing a filtration system. The optimal concentration of fluoride in drinking water is 0.7-1.2ppm. It is recommended that you contact the company where you obtain the majority of your drinking water to obtain the exact concentration of fluoride.