How Athletes Can Better Protect Your Teeth

Athletes need to get their heads in the game, but they also need to make sure they’re properly protected. That of course, means their oral health. Athletes do face unique dental challenges, and it can be a problem for some athletes. Some of them might not realize that they have these issues until way after the fact.

Here, we’ll go over some of the problems that athletes have with their oral health, and how to appropriately take care of it to prevent it. 

Contact sports and Dental Injuries 

Football, hockey, basketball, even martial arts have a lot of contact. Most blows are supposed to be on the body, but occasionally the face gets hits. Football tackles sometimes are hard blows, occasionally straight to the mouth.

This of course, means that the teeth could be knocked out. a knocked-out tooth is a problem. While you can put it in milk until you get to the dentist, it sometimes is hard to put back in. losing that tooth affects the smile and your confidence.

If you plan on playing sports that are a high risk, making sure that you know how you’re getting hit is important, because you can prevent future trauma not just for the mouth, but your headgear too. 

Sugary Drinks and Energy Gels on Dental Health 

The other major issue athletes face is that the energy drinks that they get are loaded with sugars, to the point where it’s totally excessive. In this instance, it can cause bacteria to grow, and over time, the teeth will break down.

Even sugar-free energy drinks contain acids, and having so many of these is not good for one’s oral health, and they are loaded with caffeine as well. 

This poses a problem for a lot of athletes, because when you don’t take care of your dental health, it creates further issues down the line. 

What you Can to do Prevent This 

So you don’t want to get your teeth knocked out, right? and you don't want to lose them either. 

The best thing to do is to buy protective gear. For instance, mouthguards are going to be your best friends. They even have mouthguards that you can get just for sports. Putting that in your mouth will protect your teeth and preserve your smile. That way, in the event of a hit, your teeth don’t get knocked out.

The same thing goes for helmets. A good, protective helmet will prevent head trauma and mouth trauma.   This is a given for most sports, but if helmets are optional in your athlete’s league, get them one right away. 

A helmet can not only save the dental trauma, but it also prevents head trauma such as concussions, which can impact brain health. 

Maintaining Strong Gums and teeth 

If you are an athlete, you should always make sure that you maintain healthy teeth and gums whenever you can.

Besides your protective gear, try to make sure you have only the minimum of sugary drinks and snacks. If you’re going to have a sports drink, opt for the low sugar ones. Then, if you have one with sugar, you down it with water to clean it out.

Make sure your oral health is compromised either. brush your teeth at least twice a day, or thirty minutes after having your sports drink, and make sure to floss once a day. Go see your dentist as much as you can, so that they can look at your mouth and determine the next step. If there are issues, they can handle it there.

The Connection Between Your Mouth and Your Health

Your health is important, but did you know it starts in your mouth? Your oral health plays a huge part in the overall health and wellness of the body.   This intimate connection is important to understand, and here, we will go over the different connections, and how this might play a part in this.

The Mouth and Body Connection 

Your mouth is actually linked to the body. For instance, when gum decay starts to settle in, that bacteria does travel via the bloodstream to various parts of the body.

Periodontitis actually is linked to a lot of problems, especially your blood pressure, e heart disease, and it can actually be traced to low birth weight.

Periodontitis doesn’t just affect whether the teeth will be in the mouth, but also if your heart’s going to be strong! 

Other conditions include clogged arteries, and a stroke. It might also contribute to respiratory health as well, especially if there are issues with the oral cavity and sinuses. 

Common Oral health Issues that May Impact your General Health 

There are a few issues that are definitely a big part of your general health. 

The biggest one is gum disease and periodontitis. This is a more advanced form of gingivitis, which is an inflammation of the gums.   This causes the teeth to fall out and become loose. 

While it does affect the smile, it can also cause heart disease, high blood pressure, and also clogged arteries in many different cases. 

Another common oral health issue that can happen is of course, if there is jaw clenching and tightening, resulting in teeth grinding. This stress can cause some high blood pressure, and it can also impact a person’s breathing. Someone with sleep apnea for example, might also suffer from tooth grinding. It’s all connected! 

But it’s more than that. when you don’t take care of your teeth, it can impact your general health too.   if your teeth are falling out, you might have issues with speaking as well, and it might cause a speech impediment to show up. 

It also impacts your mental health too.   depression and low self-esteem happen when tooth decay is left unchecked.   Good hygiene on the flip side will boost your confidence, improve the overall self-image you have, enhance the way you feel about yourself, and increase your self-worth as well. 

How to Prevent This 

So how do you prevent this? The answer is actually quite simple.

Take care of your oral health.

Brush your teeth twice daily for two minutes. If you have the money for such, try to get yourself a toothbrush that can get those hard-to-reach areas.

Make sure that you also floss your teeth as well.   This is a more effective way to get particles between the teeth, and if you are pressed for time, this is the more important of the two to do.

Now, what if you have done both of these things? That isn’t the only thing you must do. you need to get checked out when you can, in order to make sure that any plaque that’s become tartar is taken care of. Try to go once every six months, or more, if the dentist calls upon it.

Overall, drink water and eat healthily, and you will be able to, through all of this, ensure that you get the right results. Your overall health will be so much better, and you will not only look good, but also feel good too.

Your body and mouth are connected, and don’t you forget that.