As research continues to demonstrate, oral health has the ability to affect your entire bodily health. The bacteria in your mouth can influence inflammation throughout the entire body, and oral health is increasingly becoming an indicator of bodily health for many.
Since oral health can affect your body, poor dental health can actually impact your athletic performance. Whether you love to exercise at home or are an avid competitor, here’s what you need to know about your dental health when it comes to your physical performance!
Pain Can Affect Your Ability to Train
Having poor oral health—including increased plaque, tooth decay, or gum disease—can cause pain and discomfort in your mouth. Pain can affect your ability to fully participate in trainings and competitions, and can even affect eating [1]. All of these have the ability to impact your athletic ability.
Pain can make it difficult not only to concentrate, but to give a sport or competition your absolute best effort. Keeping your smile healthy can help you avoid discomfort and give your full attention and effort to your athletic performance!
Poor Dental Health Impacts Your Overall Wellbeing
Research indicates that poor oral health can affect your entire wellbeing [2]. Tooth decay and gum disease can both cause and maintain inflammation in the body, which can not only make it more difficult to reach your maximum physical performance, but also hinder your recovery time from trainings.
Poor dental health can also impact your quality of life, which can, in turn, affect your physical ability. A healthy smile is an integral part of a healthy body—so maintaining your oral health can help maintain bodily health as well!
Strong Teeth Keep You in the Game
Did you know that athletes are at an increased risk for oral disease and trauma? This is because exercise can cause dehydration, which can lead to dry mouth. Dry mouth carries an increased risk for cavities and gum disease. In addition, physical stress can lead to teeth grinding, and sports snacks and drinks tend to contain a lot of added sugar.
Athletes that have existing oral health problems such as tooth decay have a higher chance of sustaining an injury to their smile during their sport or competition. Teeth that are weakened by tooth decay or gum disease are more susceptible to cracks, chips, and even to be knocked out by an impact.
Are You an Athlete?
Whether you play sports or just enjoy the occasional jog, keeping up with your oral health is essential to your performance. If you play a contact sport, it’s always a good idea to invest in a custom mouthguard from your dentist to prevent an injury that could permanently alter your smile. And by keeping up with your regular oral care habits at home and visiting your dentist, you can ensure a strong smile to support your highest physical performance!
Sources:
1. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29938820
2. https://www.fdiworlddental.org/news/20190529/poor-oral-hygiene-severely-impacts-training-and-athletic-performance