We have all had an oral problem throughout our lives, perhaps bites or a break from a fall. Over the years the use of crowns becomes very common, but it is quite unpleasant that the dentist has to extract a bit of gum and bone to properly place the piece. Going to the dentist is one of the most feared things for 90% of the population. It is overwhelming to have your mouth open for a long time, regardless of pain.
You are not alone if you also have a worrying oral history. Furthermore, for several years, studies have been carried out showing that endurance athletes have worse dental health than sedentary people. Now, a new study published in the British Dental Journal echoes these findings and takes it even further, adding that even though we brush twice a day and brush our teeth more frequently than any sedentary person, you likely have more problems.
Specifically, the researchers examined the dental records of 352 Olympic athletes and professionals from 11 sports, including cycling, rowing, swimming, soccer, rugby, and athletics (running, jumping, throwing, and walking), caries control, gum health and acid erosion. They also had 344 of the athletes complete a survey of oral hygiene habits, answering questions about what they did to keep teeth and gums healthy.
Almost half (49%) of the athletes had untreated caries ; Most of them had early signs of gum inflammation, and about a third (32%) said that their oral health had a negative impact on their training and performance. And this happened despite having fairly thorough dental hygiene: 94% of them said they brush their teeth at least twice a day, and 44% said they floss regularly. That’s better than the general population, where only 75% confirmed brushing twice a day and only 21% regularly floss.
What could be the problem? It seems that athletes also incorporate supplements that often eat tooth enamel. The study also found that 87% often drink sports drinks; 70% eat gels and 59% eat energy bars. Anyone who trains and competes as part of their lifestyle can put themselves at risk for oral health problems. But if brushing and flossing don’t seem to help, what should a resistance training junkie do?
Make oral health part of your performance plan
Typically, 20-30% of athletes comment that their oral health problems have a negative impact on their training and performance. Therefore, dental health should be planned the same way you do your other workouts to minimize these interruptions and optimize performance.
Athletes need to see a dentist twice a year. The ideal would be to go once in low season and once in high season. Once seated in the chair, treat your dentist as your oral health coach. Tell him what sport you do, what your diet is like and what you use to brush your teeth.
Get high-performance toothpaste
Most over-the-counter toothpaste usually contains between 1,100 and 1,450 ppm of fluoride. This is fine for most people, but high-risk athletes need a toothpaste that is high in fluorine; that is, between 2,800 and 5,000 ppm. If you tell your dentist, he can prescribe it for you without problem.
It is important to note that prescription toothpaste should be treated like any prescription and kept out of the reach of children. High fluoride toothpaste can have toxic side effects if you swallow it.
Brush the right way
Brushing removes dental plaque, a mixture of bacteria and acids and sticky by-products, as well as food debris from the teeth before they can cause problems. It also coats your teeth with fluoride, which helps prevent tooth decay and replace lost minerals to strengthen them.
For brushing to work, you must do it well. Most of us don’t. On the one hand, you should brush twice a day, once before bed and once in the early hours of the day, for two minutes. Put a timer on your phone and meticulously rub all the teeth.
Once you’re done, spit out the toothpaste, but don’t rinse. If you rinse, you remove the fluorine. This simple change in technique can make a big difference. Science shows that you can reduce tooth decay by 25% .
Floss, or even better, brush between your teeth
Clean between the teeth once a day, at least. Flossing is fine, but for even better results, use small toothbrushes that really clean those finicky spaces.
Be strategic with sports nutrition
Sugar can wreak havoc on teeth, as bacteria in the mouth consume sweet things and create acids that dissolve minerals and leave microscopic holes in the surfaces of teeth.
Your saliva helps to remineralize your teeth, as well as brushing with fluoride toothpaste. But if you attack your teeth with a constant flow of sugar, those defenses are saturated. That’s where athletes often run into trouble: drinking sports drinks and nibbling on supplements that deliver repeated sugar bumps to the teeth over an extended period of time.
Still, there’s no need to demonize sports supplementation either. When you play sports, use the sports nutrition you really need. But also look at your nutrition plan and be critical. You probably don’t need a lot of carbs on a typical day of work and training. Try to avoid them outside of training and recovery, and prioritize real, protein-rich foods to protect your oral health.
Get rid of mouthwash
Your saliva moistens and remineralizes the teeth. The quality of saliva and oral microbiome help determine how well you can prevent oral disease. During intensive training, you have a drier mouth and less protective saliva, so it’s important to do everything possible to keep your oral microbiome healthy.
It is best to avoid antimicrobial mouthwashes. These kill the good bacteria you need, so it not only damages your teeth, but can also be detrimental to your performance and even your health. This is because bacteria in the mouth reduce nitrates to nitrites; and they become nitric oxide, which widens blood vessels to increase blood flow and lower blood pressure.
If you use an antiseptic mouthwash, kill those insects and eliminate the ergogenic benefit, especially if you are using a nitrate supplement such as beet juice.
