Worrying about having good oral health goes beyond showing a nice smile. Having cavities or an infection in the mouth can have great repercussions on the rest of our body and deteriorate our sports performance.
In a study carried out by a group of dentists from the University of Barcelona, 30 football players from the eleventh of Barcelona were taken as a sample, they underwent annual check-ups for 3 years, detecting problems such as gingivitis, malocclusion, pain in teeth and joint trauma.
Among the conclusions reached by the specialists, is the direct relationship between oral and muscular health, since when bacteria exist in the mouth, they pass through the blood until they reach the muscles, which consequently increases the risk of weaken and break. In addition, soccer players are up to 7 times more likely to injure their mouths.
Another study, but this time carried out for the London 2012 Olympic Games, it was found that 18% of athletes had some type of dental problem, which later affected their performance in competitions. But, what relationship is there between oral health and sports performance and what should we do so that this does not affect us?
Sports and cavities
There are people who due to their natural condition, that is, type of saliva and food, are more prone to tooth decay. In the case of athletes, this condition is increased by mouth breathing in athletes, which, added to dehydration, causes the mouth to generate less saliva, in turn, the high intake of sugary drinks and carbohydrates. create the ideal environment for the appearance of cavities.
Faced with this reality, the option is in prevention, which is why those who do sports in a professional way and those who aim to excel in any sports discipline, should concentrate on making a perfect brushing being essential in flossing after each brushing, going to the dentist twice a year, fixing teeth in case of a bad bite, practicing contact sports, wearing protectors to take care of possible damage to teeth, drinking lots of water, eating fiber and getting enough sleep.
Bruxism: another common evil
Another problem that athletes present is bruxism, which is clenching the teeth, generally when sleeping, this causes wear on the pieces, fissures and loss of teeth, among others. This tension, being frequent, causes headaches and neck pain, which in many cases prevents good sports performance.One solution is the use of splints or protectors, in addition to exercises to relax the jaw, this improves breathing, and gives you increased resistance to athletes.
Sports dentistry
In recent years, sports dentistry has grown, which is a branch of sports medicine and whose objective is to support the health of athletes, through the following measures:
- Reinforce the importance of custom-made mouthguards, cushioning materials, and wear time.
- Promote preventive measures for the maintenance of healthy oral tissues.
- Introduce the prescription of masks and protectors made to measure by dentists or under the supervision of dental professionals.
- Keep the dental team informed about prescribed substances that may conflict with WADA standards.
- Reaffirm the importance of the athlete's oral health status for their performance, and the manifestation of oral lesions related to systemic reactions derived from sport.
- Emphasize the importance of the relationship between the athlete's oral and general health.
- Promote the benefits of a well-balanced diet for good oral health.
References
- Relationship between dental health and sports
- Sports dentistry
