By now, most people know the upsides of regular physical activity. It helps you lose excess fat, build muscle, strengthen your heart, and more! That said, did you know exercise could harm your oral health? Indeed, it can damage your pearly whites if you’re not careful. Just listen to your local Houston dentist to discover more about the matter. Read on, then, and learn why exercise may threaten your teeth and how to keep it from doing so.
How Can Exercise Hurt Your Teeth?
In truth, there are several ways that exercise can hurt teeth. The most common ones include:
Risk of Injury
One major risk of exercise is dental injury. If you’re playing a contact sport, for example, you might lose teeth or suffer cuts to your gums. Your smile would then look worse as a result.
Of course, a dental injury wouldn’t just affect your looks. Should it cause a knocked-out tooth, it might lead to further tooth loss or even gum disease. Similarly, exercise-related TMJ damage could result in a jaw disorder.
Sugary Drinks
During intense exercise, many athletes like to hydrate with sports drinks. Unfortunately, these beverages can do a serious number on your chompers.
You see, sports drinks are usually sugary and acidic. Consequently, they can erode your tooth enamel with sugars and acids. Left unchecked, that erosion may then lead to tooth decay or cavities.
Teeth Grinding
If you engage in high-intensity workouts, you may clench your jaw unconsciously. That habit is common enough but does harm to your pearly whites.
Remember, jaw-clenching and tooth-grinding are naturally related. The former inevitably leads to the latter. As such, demanding exercise can result in tooth fractures, chips, or holes in teeth. You’d need urgent dental treatment should that happen.
Keeping Your Smile Safe from Exercise
Thankfully, it’s possible to protect teeth from exercise. Simply use the following tips in the future:
- Wear a mouthguard: By wearing a sports mouthguard, you can prevent tooth-grinding and dental injuries. From there, you wouldn’t have to worry about exercise-related smile accidents.
- Have fewer sports drinks: Instead of sports drinks for workouts, try water. The latter beverage is sugar and acid-free. Alternatively, have sports drinks all at once rather than sip them over time.
- Breathe through your nose: Don’t breathe through your mouth during intense exercise; the habit helps bacteria thrive. Therefore, make sure to practice nose breathing as an alternative.
You really shouldn’t let exercise harm your oral health. So, practice the tips above – you’ll soon get a body as strong as your smile!
About the Practice
Hiner Family Dentistry is based in Houston, TX. Led by Drs. Matt and Reagan Hiner, our practice offers quality dentistry for patients of all ages. In particular, we perform top-notch preventive, cosmetic, and restorative treatments, as well as emergency dental care. Our office also prides itself on being a certified provider of Invisalign® clear aligners. For more information or to book a visit, you can reach us on our website or by phone at (281)-864-1957.