Dental care

Read more about the article Effects of Sports Drinks on Athletes’ Oral Health

Effects of Sports Drinks on Athletes’ Oral Health

Keeping your body healthy is crucial as an athlete. Successful performance demands dedication to training, eating well, and staying hydrated. Although it seems obvious that athletes must consistently care for their bodies, many overlook a crucial part of their health – their teeth.

Maintaining Oral health is as important as strengthening the body for athletic performance. Rising rates of dental problems in active people – from as young as preschool to older adults have caused concern for dental professionals. Sports drinks can cause 3 times more damage to teeth than soda. Even though consuming sports drinks can help improve your performance, it’s important to weigh the risks you are taking to your oral health, too. Here are some crucial facts about the sports drinks:

The most commonly reported dental problems among athletes were tooth decay, gum disease, enamel erosion, and infected wisdom teeth.

Tooth decay – The sugar found in sports drinks adhere to the teeth more than saliva and promote acid production for the oral bacteria, putting you at a higher risk for decay. The enamel and dentine of teeth are weakened and broken down by acids of a pH lower than 5.5. Many sports drinks and intra-workout supplements contain citric acid or malic acid with a pH between 2.4 – 4.5. Instead of gulping down a quick sports drink, athletes often take frequent sips during their workouts, exposing their teeth to harmful levels of acidity and sugar. Because dehydration is a common issue among athletes, having a dry mouth and a decreased salivary flow makes them more vulnerable to tooth decay.

Advice for athletes

Dentists urge athletes to use sports drinks in the following fashion:

• Use sports drinks in moderation, also use fruit juices or soft drinks in moderation because they have the same potential to erode teeth. Water is the best drink for light workouts in which less body fluids are lost.
• Dilute sports drinks with water.
• If possible, use a straw to reduce contact between the drink and teeth. Do not hold the drink in your mouth or swish it around.
• Do not brush your teeth immediately after consuming a sports drink. The acid in sports drinks makes teeth softer and brushing can cause protective enamel to be lost.
• Talk to your dentist about preventative care for your oral health. Find out a healthy hydration regimen for your work out.

You can protect yourself by skipping energy drinks and instead drink water and replenish your electrolytes naturally through foods, such as bananas, peanut butter, seaweed, leafy greens, melons, milk, beans, and whole grains. Contact Expressions Dental to learn more.

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Read more about the article Uses and Effects of Fluoride

Uses and Effects of Fluoride

Fluoride is an abundant element on earth’s crust. It is found naturally in soil, water, foods and several minerals.

Fluoride is said to protect the teeth in two ways:

• When bacteria in the mouth combine with sugars they produce acid. This acid can erode tooth enamel and damage our teeth. Fluoride can protect teeth from demineralization that is caused by the acid.
• If there is already some damage to teeth caused by acid, fluoride accumulates in the demineralized areas and begins strengthening the enamel, a process called remineralization.

Fluoride is extremely useful in preventing cavities and making teeth stronger. However, it is much less effective if a cavity has already formed. Several people, especially those at higher risk of tooth decay, benefit from fluoride treatment. Individuals who might benefit from fluoride treatment are the ones with snacking habits, poor dental hygiene, having diets with high sugars or carbohydrates, having history of tooth decay, cavities etc.

Problems with excess fluoride
But, if there is excess fluoride, it could lead to problems. Excessive exposure to high concentrations of fluoride during tooth development (during childhood) can result in tiny white streaks or specks in the enamel of the tooth in mild cases of dental fluorosis. In severe cases of dental fluorosis, the tooth has more evident discoloration and brown markings. The enamel may be rough and pitted, and difficult to clean.

Skeletal fluorosis is a bone disease caused by too much fluoride. In severe cases, there is damage to bones and joints, as well as pain. High fluorine concentrations in the body lead to hardened and less elastic bones, which increases the risk of fractures.

In some cases, the thyroid gland may be damaged, resulting in hyperparathyroidism. In hyperparathyroidism the secretion of parathyroid hormones goes out of control, resulting in depletion of calcium in bone structures and higher-than-normal concentrations of calcium in the blood.

In a nutshell, it is safe to conclude that high doses of fluoride could be harmful, but low doses are beneficial to our health.

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