It is common to spend most of your time thinking about your physical health especially if you are an athlete. However, while tossing back energy gels and powering through intense workout sessions, it is easy for you to forget one important part of the puzzle: your oral health.
According to the Great Hill Dental in Boston, there are several ways that oral health can be complicated by athletic pursuits. Therefore, you need to understand the best strategies for maintaining your mental health to curb these challenges.
The following ways will help you take care of your teeth as an athlete:
1. Have a Mouthguard
The American Dental Association encourages all athletes that play in any form of contact sport to add a mouthguard in their uniform regardless of their age. It is important to wear a mouthguard during every competition or practice if you play in sports that involve high collisions such as hockey and football. Mouthguards help you protect your teeth, tongue and jaw from cracks, chips or breaks during a collision.
When using a mouthguard, ensure that you wash it after every time you use it and keep it in a dry environment. This will prevent nasty bacteria from being introduced into your mouth when you use the mouthguard. When an athlete wears a mouthguard consistently, it will eventually feel natural for them.
Ensure that the mouthguard you wear fits perfectly so that you are protected well. Take your mouthguard to the dentist during your appointments to be cleaned and checked if it fits correctly.
2. Wear a Helmet
Initially, this may not seem important for your teeth. This is because helmets are generally made to protect your head. However, they end up protecting your teeth in the process.
This is because the helmet acts as a barrier between your face and head and anything that might cause a collision. Sometimes, a buffer that is half-inches can be the difference between a healthy smile and a broken tooth.
3. Eat a Healthy Diet
A healthy diet does not only fuel your athletic pursuits but also help improve your oral health. Research shows that proper nutrition is one of the most essential tools for maintaining the dental health of an individual.
Therefore, going easy on processed foods and sugar and choosing plenty of fresh and whole foods is a way of taking good care of your teeth.
4. Drink Water
An athlete needs to drink lots of water. This will keep you physically energized and avoid dehydration. Drinking water is also necessary for your oral health.
Staying hydrated will ensure that your salivary glands function well which is essential for rinsing off the bacteria and plaque from your mouth hence keeping your mouth clean.
5. Avoid Sugary Drinks
Since staying hydrated is important when pursuing athletics, it can be tempting and convenient to get yourself a sugary sports drinks after a hard training session. However, these drinks will bring you more harm than good.
The sugar content in these sports drinks can raise your risk of developing dental cavities and cause inflammation in your mouth. This is because when the sugar in the drink comes in contact with the natural bacteria in the mouth, an acid is formed that weakens the enamel part meant to protect your teeth.
Instead, stick to low-sugar drinks or water. If you still want something to replenish your electrolytes, consider purchasing drinks that are free from sugar or making your sports drink.
6. Brush and Floss Daily
Athletes who want to succeed in their sport believe that practice makes perfect and understand the value of discipline. This applies to oral health as well. If you want to achieve successful oral health, developing the discipline to floss and brush daily is required.
Brushing your teeth for at least two minutes will ensure that all the harmful bacteria is removed from your teeth and mouth. Flossing helps to remove any build up in between your gums and teeth.
Having healthy gums and teeth can prevent injuries during sports as well as give you a healthy smile. Ensure that you use a fluoride toothpaste when brushing.
Final Thoughts
In addition to the above ways in which athletes can take care of their teeth, the best way for maintaining healthy oral health is by visiting the dentist regularly for your teeth to be cleaned professionally. The dentist will also have the chance to examine your teeth for any damage or potential oral health problem.
Practicing habits for oral hygiene as well as the tips above will help you as an athlete to preserve your oral health. This is because athletes may not be as healthy as they should be if they do not take care of their oral health.