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.
