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4 REASONS WATER IS THE BEST BEVERAGE FOR YOUR TEETH

Our bodies are made of 60% water, and staying hydrated helps your system distribute health nutrients, gets ride of waste, gives you skin a healthy glow and keeps your muscles moving. Drinking water is also one of the best things you can do for your teeth, especially if it's fluoridated. Here are four reasons water is good for your teeth:

1. It Strengthens your teeth. Drinking water with fluoride (called "nature's cavity fighter") is one of the easiest and most beneficial things you can do to help prevent cavities.

2. It keeps your mouth clean. Drinking juice, soda or sports drinks may help you wash down your dinner, but they can leave unwanted sugar behind on your teeth. The cavity-causing bacteria in you mouth love to eat sugar and produce acid that wears away enamel, which is the outer shell of your teeth. Many of these drinks also have added acids (phosphoric, citrus or malic acid) to make them taste less sweet, but those acids also cause trouble by eroding away enamel.

Water, however, cleans your mouth with every sip. It washes away leftover food and residue that cavity-causing bacteria are looking for. It also dilutes the acids produced by the bacteria in your mouth. You'll still need to brush twice a day for two minutes and clean between your teeth, but drinking water through the day will go a long way toward keeping your smile cavity-free.

3.It fights dry mouth. Saliva is your mouth's first defense against tooth decay. It washes away leftover food, helps you swallow with ease and keeps your teeth strong by washing them with calcium, phosphate and fluoride. When your saliva supply runs low, dry mouth my put you at risk for tooth decay. Drinking water can help cut your risk as you and your dentist work to find the best long-term solution for you.

4. It's calorie-free. Sweetened drinks that are high in sugar and calories, create a perfect storm that puts you at risk for cavities and other unhealthy consequences like weight gain. In fact, studies have shown that drinking water can actually help you lose weight. So the next time you need a drink, go guilt-free with water to take care of your body and your smile.

American Dental Association

TOP 8 FOODS THAT DAMAGE YOUR TEETH

1. HARD CANDIES. Eating too many hard candies expose your teeth to a constant flow of sugar which is harmful to your teeth. Also, if you bite on them they could possibly break or chip a tooth.

2. ICE Even though it is nothing more than water, chewing on hard substances can leave your teeth vulnerable to dental emergency and damage enamel.

3. CITRUS FRUIT. Frequent exposures to acidic food can erode enamel, making teeth more susceptible to decay over time. They can also irritate mouth sores.

4. COFFEE. In their natural form, coffee and tea can be healthy beverage choice. Unfortunately, too many people can't resist adding sugar. Also, caffeinated coffee and tea can also dry out your mouth. Frequent drinks of coffee and tea may also stain your teeth.

5. STICKY FOODS. When it comes to picking healthy snacks, many people put dried fruit (raisins, prunes, fruit rollups) at the top of the list. But many dried fruits are sticky and full of sugar. Sticky food can damage your teeth since they tend to stay on the teeth longer than other types of food. It is important to rinse, brush, and floss as soon as possible after eating sticky foods.

6. CHIPS. Unfortunately, potato chips are filled with starch, whicih tends to get trapped in your teeth. Brush and floss as soon as you can afterwards.

7. SODA. When you eat sugary foods or sip sugary drinks for long periods of time, plaque bacteria use that sugar to produce acids that attack and weaken your enamel and eventually can cause a cavity. Most carbonated soft drinks, including diet soda, are acidic and therfore, bad for your teeth.

8. SPORTS DRINKS. They sound healthy, but sugar is a top ingredient for many sports and energy drinks Before you sext sip, check the label to make sure your drink of choice is low in sugar or drink water.

American Dental Association

MARKGETING OF UNHEALTHY FOOD AND NON-ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES ON TIK TOK

Unhealthy food and non-alcoholic beverage brands are using Tik Tok to market brands and products via their own accounts and to encourage users to create and share their own content that features branding and product images. Given TikTok's popularity among children, a study supports the need for policies that protect children from the harmful impact of food marketing on social networking platforms.

BMJ Global Health