Ceramic crowns are ideal for people who are sensitive to metals.If you are a candidate for a ceramic crown, your dentist will instruct you on how to take care of it. Of course, you'll need to brush and floss regularly and avoid eating foods that are too hard or too sticky, but there's another thing that is crucial in keeping your mouth and the gum surrounding your dental crown healthy—hydration! Here's what you need to know. 

Dehydration Effects On Your Mouth 

Dehydration occurs when you don't drink enough water and/or you lose more water than you take in. When your body doesn't have enough water, it can affect all of your cells, including the ones in your mouth. This can lead to: 

• Dry mouth
• Bleeding gums
• Swollen gums
• Bacterial infections 
• Increased plaque 
• More cavities

Dehydration results in not enough saliva production, which is called dry mouth in the dental and medical communities. The role of saliva is to help keep the gum tissue moist and wash away bacteria and debris from the teeth and gums. Since bacteria is not washed away, the bacteria can get into open wounds in the gums, such as from brushing and flossing to hard, which can lead to an infection. 

Dehydration Effects On Ceramic Crowns 

While a ceramic crown isn't going to deteriorate the same as a natural tooth would, there are still a few things to be concerned about regarding your ceramic crown and your natural teeth, as well as your gums.

Crowns are placed extremely close to the gums to achieve a natural appearance. When you have dry mouth or swollen and/or bleeding gums, it can cause the area around your ceramic crown to become painful and irritated, which can lead to more swelling and bleeding. In turn, this can lead to the inability to properly brush and floss around the ceramic crown, which just compounds the problem with unclean teeth and gums. 

Another concern is that, without saliva to wash away bacteria and debris from your natural teeth, there is a higher chance of plaque building up on them, which can result in tooth decay. Also, the natural teeth are more susceptible to changing color. And since your ceramic crown will not change color, the ceramic crown will likely be more noticeable because it won't blend in with the surrounding teeth. 

Determining How Much Water You Need 

Even though most people know that it's important to be hydrated, research shows that 75% of Americans are considered chronically dehydrated. The Institute of Medicine says that women should get about 91 ounces and men roughly 125 ounces of water on a daily basis in order to be hydrated. If you exercise, you need additional water to replace the water that is lost when you sweat. 

Most people use thirst as a way to determine when they are dehydrated. However, It's important to make it a point to drink fluids regularly all through the day, every day, and not just when you feel thirsty because, at that point, you are already dehydrated.

Being properly hydrated can keep your body functioning as it should and prevent problems in your oral cavity, which is especially important after dental treatments such as getting a ceramic crown placed. If you notice any bleeding and swelling in your gums or your mouth feels dry and sticky, the first thing to do is to consider your hydration level and if that can be a factor in what is causing the problem. If so, step up your efforts of hydrating yourself and keep track of how much water you consume on a daily basis. For more information, contact local companies like Pittsburgh Dental Spa.