Exercise and Diet
Diet and exercise often go hand in hand. Even if the goal isn’t to lose weight, people who have a strict and heavy routine for exercise often have a diet that can be detrimental to the enamel of their teeth.
Many athletes, and runners, for example, rely on a large intake of potassium which often comes from carbohydrates, such as potatoes and legumes. The starch turns into sugar in the body and can cause tooth decay to spread.
Citrus for Vitamin C is also quite common. Excessive sweating while training or working out can cause your body to lose vitamin C and one of the healthiest ways to replenish it is through eating citrus fruits, lemons, limes, oranges, or drinking citrus juices. Not only is the acid in citrus something that can wear down your tooth’s enamel, but the natural fructose sugars produced can do damage as well.
Energy drinks are another problem. Getting a boost to go on a run, or work out isn’t uncommon, but beware. The University of Iowa tested enamel wear after using Lemon-lime sports drinks and the drink that makes you have wings against sodas and other drinks. After 25 hours, the sports drinks and energy drinks caused more wear on the teeth than the name-brand colas.
Fit vs. Sit
Not only is diet, energy drinks, and sugars to boost your energy a problem, but too much exercise itself can be an issue.
A Scandinavian study showed that exercise itself changes the amount of saliva production in the mouth. Saliva is the bacteria killer. When you don’t produce enough of it, the starches that you had to keep your energy aren’t broken down. The sugars sit in your mouth, in and around your teeth, and slowly erode and decay.
Saliva helps your teeth by replacing the minerals in the dentin surface and without enough of it, that barrier is broken down.
It’s not that we are saying you shouldn’t exercise or have a healthy diet. The key word is healthy. Regular exercise and a healthy diet are significant when it comes to decreasing instances of gum disease.
A doctor-recommended and approved exercise plan and diet can keep you from periodontitis, as well as more serious conditions, like diabetes which can adversely affect your teeth and gums.
But be aware if you want to go into bodybuilding, or become a decathlon participant, too much of a good thing can have its consequences. Good oral hygiene is the only exception to that.
GIve us a call at (203) 324-7777 and we can help you find the best oral plan for your lifestyle.