Drinking Straws and Tooth Health

Drinking Straws and Tooth Health

Here’s a fun fact: January 3rd is National Drinking Straw Day. While it may seem silly to have a day devoted to celebrating a straw, it does remind us that drinking straws can have a positive impact of your oral health.

Less Cavities.

By drinking out of a straw that is positioned towards the back of your mouth, you can lessen your chance for cavities. Straw usage prohibits acidic and sugary drinks like juices and sodas from pooling in your mouth and damaging your tooth’s enamel. The straw can help reduce the amount of contact your teeth has with sugary beverages, therefore, assisting in cavity prevention.

Stain Reduction on teeth.

Straws can actually help to reduce the amount of staining on teeth caused by sugary and dark colored beverages. Drinks like coffee, teas and colas can have a big impact of the brightness of your smile. Straws help bypass these drinks from making prolonged contact with your teeth.

More water intake.

Research has shown that you’re likely to drink more water when using a straw. Staying hydrated with water is not only terrific for your overall health, but it’s also a helpful way to wash sugary particles and food remnants from your teeth. Continual water consumption also stimulates saliva production, which is part of your mouth’s natural defense system.

Of course we encourage all of our patients to use paper straws in lieu of plastic ones, which can adversely affect marine life if not properly disposed. We also encourage making healthy beverage choices by limited the amount of sugary and acidic drinks you consume. If you do choose a sugary drink though, we hope you consider using a straw as it can have a positive impact on your oral health.