The following comes into mind when we talk about fitness: a strong, leaner body, a healthier brain and heart, and relief of mental stress with an improved physical immunity. When we think of all these, we find it necessary for a person to exercise to achieve a healthy body. This is actually what we’re taught. However, dental health and fitness don’t always sync up—in this article, we’re going to discuss how people are likely to develop cavities and other oral health issues if they exercise regularly.
This shocking news is due to the enamel erosion, which is a common condition for people who do proper fitness training. It can be due to their diet patterns and breathing.
Great Hill Dental in Peabody tells us that taking care of your dental health means maintaining a proper diet—the following are negative and positive impacts of exercising on our dental health:
How Exercise Impacts Oral Health Negatively
Sugar intake: People who exercise cardio workouts a lot need excess sugar in their bodies and depend a lot on sports drinks. These drinks have preservatives which are sugary that can lead to teeth damage.
The preservative can remain in the mouth and give bacteria a chance to accumulate slowly and cause harm to health. Sports drinks have high acidic content and lots of electrolytes that could destroy your teeth.
Increase in saliva: People who do cardio exercises more tend to breathe with their mouths open, reducing the amount of saliva in the mouth. Saliva helps to neutralize the bacteria which build up to destroy teeth.
Research shows that every athlete suffers from dental problems. It is because athletes exercise more and take sport drinks often, which results in detrimental issues to their oral health.
In addition to that, exercise leads to heavy breathing causing less saliva in the mouth, causing gum infection by attracting more bacteria.
Injury risks: Any physical activity can lead to injury to the mouth. A knock from the wrong direction can leave one without some teeth or injure your tongue, lips, gums, or inner cheeks.
Loss of a tooth can cause a shift of one tooth or lead to difficulty in speaking, eating, or biting problems. It can also lead to the development of Temporomandibular jaw (TMJ) disorders and pain.
Positive Effects of Exercise on Oral Health
Exercising prevents gum diseases: Regular exercise lowers the risk of periodontitis. Those who exercise regularly and have never smoked have healthier gums compared to those who smoke or do not exercise.
How to Avoid the Harmful Effects of Fitness on Dental Health
The following are tips on how to protect your oral health:
Stay hydrated
Too much exercising leaves you out of breath, causing a reduction of saliva in the mouth. Staying hydrated can help you solve the problem. Water can wash the acidic content of the soft drinks consumed that has settled on your teeth.
Coconut water is good because it is hydrating as well as an anti-inflammatory effect that makes the gums to be healthy.
Nose breathing
We breathe with our noses unless there are different conditions. Nose breathing is good for our health. It increases the absorption of oxygen and lowers blood pressure.
When exercising, you breathe with your mouth that increases your tooth decay risk. Proper nose breathing exercises are ideal for a workout. It will help protect your teeth from being exposed to bacterial attacks because of a lack of saliva.
Make a dental regime.
Following a healthy dental regime will prevent your teeth from any damages resulting from exercising. It is flossing regularly and brushing your teeth twice a day, regular use of mouthwash, and visiting the dentist every six months.
In addition to that, practicing a healthy diet by adding more minerals and vitamins will help you evade teeth complications. Eat more leafy and crunchy vegetables that will help clean your mouth. For a recommendation, you can make your teeth feel good with Dental Implants in Naples.
Final Takeaway
Exercise is good for keeping your body healthy. It is a solution to most of our health problems. Fitness has more advantages than cons, which is one of the reasons we don’t talk about the possible harm that exercising causes. Hopefully, this article has given you enough information on how sports and fitness can affect your dental health.
