Did you know that oral health is closely related to sports performance? If we start from the premise that sport and exercise is beneficial for the whole organism, including all its tissues and organs. The mouth is, therefore, a theme to relate to the performance and sports practice.
Some practices or habits of athletes can have a negative effect on oral health.
It is a two-way street, on the one hand, we relate that oral health problems can affect athletic performance. On the other, that intense sports practice can affect oral health. It seems that all are disadvantages for the athlete, but can be avoided with periodic reviews to the dentist, the prestigious dental clinics are up to date with this issue. In addition, visits to the dentist must be combined with good daily dental hygiene and adapted eating habits.
In the case of elite athletes, the risk is even greater. Infections, inflammations, cavities, periodontitis … could become chronic and this affects sports performance, as a greater propensity to injuries. In addition, the stress that occurs before and during competitions also affects the oral health of the individual
Sportsman habits that worsen oral health
Often, athletes consume drinks prepared for recovery. Many of these products contain large amounts of sugars. But sugar is only one of the problems of these drinks, which are also acidic (especially those that are energetic), and carbonated, which can damage the enamel and produce dental hypersensitivity, among others.
In addition to drinks, another of the star products that athletes consume are the bars. Like beverages, most energy bars have a high sugar content, which can damage teeth and cause decay.
But, what if nothing is taken of all the above? In addition to the aforementioned products can damage the teeth, if an athlete does not consume any of them is not safe. The reason is the greater production of saliva during sports. This increase in salivation increases the risk of decay and tartar production.
In terms of nutrition, an athlete’s diet is higher in carbohydrates. The abuse of carbohydrates in the diet causes the risk of developing caries to increase, so it would be to consider reducing carbohydrate intake as much as possible.
What can be done?
Sport is healthy and necessary for our general health, and although today we have counted the negative part, it is also true that we can avoid problems by following the following guidelines:
- Perform regular check-ups with the dentist.
- Use a toothpaste that contains fluoride, to prevent demineralization of the enamel.
- Maintain good dental hygiene (brushing, silk, interdental cleaning, etc. …).
- Avoid the consumption of sugars and excess carbohydrates in the diet.
- Do not abuse carbonated or acid drinks that can damage and demineralize the enamel.
