Exercise and oral health after the holidays
Now that you have finished the holidays, it’s back to the grind. During the summer, we leave the slots which have been used the rest of the year; we care less food, etc. All this causes many times we return from vacation with a kilo more, and so it is common for the holiday weekend match around diet and physical exercise.
Known sport brings many benefits ranging from improved fitness and increased self-esteem to prevent systemic diseases such as cardiovascular diseases and stress reduction.
The sport is closely related to the surprise of many, to oral health. That is why more and more professional sports clubs have in their squad with a dentist or, at least, have scheduled reviews at the dental clinic, to maximize athletic performance and minimize the risk of injury. There is a case of a known football player who played in the Spanish league, but before it was dismissed by a leading Italian club to detect its medical service malocclusion that could potentially cause problems on the spine.
Studies have shown that sport can help improve conditions or conditions that are associated with worse periodontal health, such as obesity, poor glycemic control in diabetic or stress.
Conversely, it has also been shown that poor oral health is associated with poor athletic performance. Problems such as bruxism or malocclusions are associated with increased muscle contractures and tensions in back and neck; oral infections can spread through the bloodstream systemically, favoring the onset of fatigue and systemic inflammation, which in turn increases the risk of injury. Even an incorrect chewing causes slower digestion and reduced energy to the athlete.
Physical exercise is not without risks, one of the most obvious risk to suffer dental trauma fractures, especially in contact sports. Very often the consumption of sports drinks and refreshments during and after sports. These drinks are usually acidic and rich in sugars that erode the enamel, which on one hand can cause tooth sensitivity and other favors tooth decay.
Therefore, it is clear that sport can contribute positively about oral health, but also we need good oral health to correctly play sports. For this, we acquire good oral hygiene habits, such as brushing for 2 minutes 3 times daily and with the use of fluoride toothpastes and mouthwashes, hydroxyapatite nanoparticles and xylitol, and performing the daily hygiene interproximal . With all this we can strengthen teeth and prevent cavities and gum disease. Other healthy habits are proper hydration; do not abuse the consumption of sports drinks, use of mouth guards and periodic reviews at the dental clinic that can help prevent mouth problems arising from sports.