Dentist Dollars
Are you helping your dentist pay for their next sports car?
I once heard someone say that the best thing about endurance exercise is that you get to eat ‘junk food’. As a sports dietitian, I would encourage athletes to consume foods such as coke, lollies and sports drinks during and after endurance exercise, but as I’m sure most of you are aware, these types of foods are terrible for your teeth.
There is overwhelming evidence that shows sporting performance is enhanced when foods and fluids containing carbohydrate are taken during exercise bouts greater than 60 minutes or during sustained high intensity events. Conversely, if athletes chose not to take on carbohydrates during this type of activity, they would run out of energy resulting in a reduced performance. Sports drinks, gels, lollies, muesli and sports bars are the common foods recommended, as they contain fast-digesting carbohydrates. So how can you get top performance and protect your teeth?
Kath's Tips for Protecting your Teeth:
- When using a sports drink, drink it quickly – avoid sipping them slowly
- Don’t hold or ‘swish’ sports drinks around in your mouth – try to minimize contact with teeth
- Rinse your mouth with water after using sport drinks and gels
- Try not to insert a mouth guard immediately after using sports drinks
Other things you can do to help
- Ask your dentist about Tooth mousse. Tooth mousse is a great tasting crème that contains calcium and phosphate (the major minerals teeth are made from), that can protect your teeth like saliva. The calcium and phosphate will help replace lost minerals from the tooth surface so regular application will help make teeth stronger and help protect against dental decay and erosion. It’s great if you are susceptible to dehydration from sporting activities or outdoor work.
- Chew gum after meals and snacks. This is a good idea when you’re tramping and using foods like muesli bars and dried fruits for snacks, as these foods have a tendency to stick to your teeth. Chewing gum stimulates saliva which helps fight cavities, neutralize plaque acids, remineralise enamel to strengthen teeth and wash away food particles.
- Choose a toothpaste high in fluoride. Using toothpaste high in fluoride, brushing twice a day, using dental floss and having regular dental check-ups is the best way to avoid problems (most likely very expensive ones) later on.
Remember that the best dental care is preventative care. The only person with real control over your oral health is you.
By Kath Fouhy, BSc, PG DipDiet, NZRD
