{"id":460,"date":"2024-12-13T19:38:33","date_gmt":"2024-12-13T19:38:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.vanderbrookdds.com\/blog\/?p=460"},"modified":"2025-01-17T19:43:00","modified_gmt":"2025-01-17T19:43:00","slug":"sporty-smiles-maintaining-dental-health-during-exercise","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.vanderbrookdds.com\/blog\/sporty-smiles-maintaining-dental-health-during-exercise\/","title":{"rendered":"Sporty Smiles: Maintaining Dental Health During Exercise"},"content":{"rendered":"
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The holiday season is here and soon, we\u2019ll say farewell to all things 2024 and welcome 2025 with open arms. If you\u2019re like many others this time of year, you might be considering resolutions for self-improvement to put your best foot forward this coming January. For instance, you might decide to spend more time at the gym to improve your heart health, build muscle, or lose weight.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These are all admirable goals, but did you know that exercise can potentially harm your grin? Continue reading to learn 3 common oral issues athletes experience and how to preserve your dental health<\/a>!<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

Concern #1: Sports Drinks<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re gearing up to go to the gym, you might feel tempted to down a sports drink that contains ingredients that can you get through it, like electrolytes, protein, or B vitamins to boost your metabolism and generate more energy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, these popular beverages tend to contain plenty of sugar, which attracts harmful bacteria that contribute to oral problems like cavities or gum disease. Not only that, but they\u2019re frequently also very acidic, which can erode your enamel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can prevent potential dilemmas by brushing and flossing your teeth about 30 minutes before you drink anything to strengthen your enamel and better resist plaque buildup. Also, drinking more water instead of sugary drinks can keep you hydrated and refreshed while cooling your sweaty body.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Concern #2: Mouth Breathing<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Did you know that saliva protects your mouth? It rinses away bacteria, leftover food, and other debris that cause issues, and has a nearly neutral pH balance to counteract acid damage. However, you\u2019re more likely to breathe through your mouth when engaging in strenuous activities that dry it out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can combat this by drinking more water during your workout to keep your mouth moist. Also, try to practice breathing through your nose more frequently, even if it feels counterintuitive. Inhaling through your nostrils during mild to moderate exercise improves ventilatory efficiency (how well your body exchanges oxygen with carbon dioxide) and can even enhance your performance by creating a more stable heart rate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Concern #3: Teeth Grinding<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

You\u2019ll likely be lifting weights if you plan to bulk up or build tone in the coming year. Unfortunately, it\u2019s easy to forget about your dental health and instinctively clench your teeth together as you work to complete your sets. This can wear down your enamel prematurely, which increases the likelihood of developing tooth decay, periodontal problems, or sustaining chips, cracks, or other injuries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Your dentist can fit you with a customized mouthguard to provide an added layer of cushion between your teeth to shield them from physical damage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Making these minor adjustments to your workout routine can safeguard your smile in the coming year!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

About the Practice<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

At Vanderbrook Family Dentistry, you benefit from two dedicated providers with 13+ years of combined experience. Dr. Drew Vanderbrook and Dr. Hayden Keys work together to offer a full array of services to patients of all ages to streamline your family\u2019s dental care. They enjoy getting to know you and your unique needs so they can tailor treatment plans to meet them. Then, they utilize state-of-the-art equipment to enhance your comfort and increase the accuracy of the results. If you need a checkup or a mouthguard, you can request an appointment on the website<\/a> or call (214) 821-5200.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The holiday season is here and soon, we\u2019ll say farewell to all things 2024 and welcome 2025 with open arms. If you\u2019re like many others this time of year, you might be considering resolutions for self-improvement to put your best foot forward this coming January. For instance, you might decide to spend more time at […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-460","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.vanderbrookdds.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/460","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.vanderbrookdds.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.vanderbrookdds.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.vanderbrookdds.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.vanderbrookdds.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=460"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.vanderbrookdds.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/460\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":462,"href":"https:\/\/www.vanderbrookdds.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/460\/revisions\/462"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.vanderbrookdds.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=460"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.vanderbrookdds.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=460"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.vanderbrookdds.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=460"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}