Dentist Dr. Martma: You should drink water after sports drinks and gels

Exercise and health sports are beneficial for the human body, and fortunately, many people in today’s sedentary society have understood this. At the end of the working day, people go to health sports trails and sports clubs to exercise, and on weekends, they occasionally compete in popular sports events. Sports are an activity that simply creates excitement, and soon people start looking for additional ways to improve their performance. Along with all kinds of sports equipment, one of the first choices is also dietary supplements, but is this really such a good idea? Most people start exercising to improve their health, but can we actually do ourselves a “disservice” in the process? According to dentists, this is the case in some cases.

According to Dr. Martin Martma, a dentist at Clinic 32, two factors are the main risk to teeth during sports – acidic sports drinks and gels, and unconscious clenching and grinding of the teeth during exertion. “Sports drinks are mostly acidic and sports gels are sweet. By consuming them together, we create a real acid attack in the mouth, which corrodes the tooth enamel and makes it soft. With the energy obtained from the added carbohydrates, we increase the level of exertion even higher and unconsciously we start to rub or clench our teeth together, which is essentially a shortcut to tooth destruction,” said Dr. Martma.

Repeating this procedure over and over again can result in sensitive teeth, which means that the acid has already penetrated the tooth enamel and reached the dentin, the soft tissue inside the tooth. This level of damage is indicated by yellow teeth, and it is very easy to wear down the tooth by playing sports and grinding or clenching your teeth, as the acidic environment has already worn away the enamel.

Of course, it is difficult to do anything about this during sports, as the energy costs are high and carbohydrate-rich drinks and meals are indispensable, but the damage can still be prevented. To start with, we should think about whether we have already spent enough energy during sports to still need that energy gel or bar? If so, then we need to absorb additional energy, but we should be careful not to overconsume and unnecessarily burden the body. Rinsing the mouth with water is another important measure. Water helps to clean the acidic environment in the mouth and also saves the teeth. Moreover, the water swallowed as a result of rinsing the mouth with a sports drink also helps to reduce fluid loss. There are some simple tricks to prevent tooth damage, which do not require you to give up anything.

More information about protecting teeth from wear will be provided by oral hygienists on September 8 at the SEB Tallinn Marathon in the sports medicine area organized by the Estonian Sports Medicine Cluster SportEST at the intersection of Suur-Karja and Pärnu mnt. Information can also be found at www.hammastetervisekuu.ee

Source: Delfi Sport, 03.09.2013