Oral Health for Athletes: Stay in the Game

Training hard can be tough on your teeth. Sports drinks, gels and chews bathe teeth in sugar and acid, heavy breathing dries out the mouth, clenching under strain wears enamel, and contact sports put teeth at risk of chips and knockouts. Poor oral health can take you out of the game too: a toothache, a flare-up around a wisdom tooth or a gum infection can cost you sleep, training days and race days. The good news is that most of these problems are preventable with a few habits and regular checkups.

Whether you run, lift, cycle, swim or play on a weekend league, this guide from the Timonium office of Dr. Steven W. Haywood, DDS covers how an active lifestyle affects your mouth and how to protect it.

How poor oral health can take you out of the game

Dental problems rarely pick a convenient time. A cavity that has been quiet for months can start to throb the week of a big event. Pain disrupts sleep and focus, an infection can leave you feeling unwell, and an emergency visit can interrupt a training plan. Inflammation around partially erupted wisdom teeth is another common problem in younger athletes. Read a guide to wisdom teeth removal.

Many dental problems are quiet at first. Early decay and gum pockets often don’t hurt until they are advanced, which is why finding them at a checkup, long before they cause pain, is the best way to keep dental trouble off your schedule.

Sports drinks, gels and chews

Many sports drinks, energy drinks, gels and chews are designed to deliver quick sugar, and many are acidic as well. Sipping them over a long workout keeps your teeth in contact with sugar and acid for the whole session. Plaque bacteria turn the sugar into more acid, and enamel softens.

• Use water for everyday workouts and save sports drinks for the sessions where you actually rely on them.
• Drink, don’t swish. Holding a sports drink in your mouth increases contact with your teeth.
• Follow with water. A few sips of plain water after a gel, chew or sports drink helps rinse sugar and acid away.
• Wait before brushing after acidic drinks, so you don’t scrub softened enamel.

Read acidic foods and your tooth enamel and soda spells double trouble for teeth and gums.

Dry mouth during training

Breathing hard through your mouth dries it out, and saliva is one of your teeth’s main defenses. It rinses away food, neutralizes acid and helps minerals return to enamel. A dry mouth plus sugary sports fuel is a combination that favors decay.

Carry water and sip it through training. After a session, rehydrate with water before reaching for anything sweet. Sugar-free options help too: the practice offers xylitol mints and lollipops, which help reduce decay risk.

Clenching and grinding under strain

Many people clench their teeth while lifting, sprinting or pushing through a hard effort, and some grind at night when training stress builds. Grinding and clenching place excessive force on the teeth, wearing enamel away and introducing small cracks. Jaw tenderness and frequent head or neck aches can also point to a TMJ disorder.

If your teeth are looking flatter or your jaw feels sore, an exam can show how much wear is there. Comfortable, clear bite guards custom-made for you help protect your teeth from further wear. See TMJ disorder treatment.

Mouthguards for contact sports

In sports with contact, falls, balls or sticks, a mouthguard helps cushion blows that could chip or knock out teeth and cut the lips and cheeks. Mouthguards come in stock, boil-and-bite and custom-fitted styles, and the best one is the one that fits well enough that you will actually wear it. A sports mouthguard is not the same as a night guard for grinding. Ask at your checkup which type suits your sport. Read sports mouthguards for kids for more on choosing and caring for one.

If a tooth is chipped or knocked out

Facial trauma such as a knocked-out tooth is one of the most common dental emergencies. If a tooth is knocked out, put the tooth in milk and call the office, or any dentist, immediately. Time is of the essence: a knocked-out tooth can be saved if you are seen quickly enough. If only part of the tooth broke off, it probably can’t be reattached, but bring the piece with you. Knocked-out teeth can be treated for patients of any age, and cuts from the injury can be stitched.

Dr. Haywood is available for true dental emergencies for existing patients and their friends and families. New patients with emergency needs are seen on weekdays during normal business hours, based on availability. Call as early in the day as you can. See emergency dental care.

Tobacco and the locker room

Smokeless tobacco and smoking have long had a place in some sports cultures. Both are hard on the gums, and smoking, alcohol, infection and the HPV virus have all been implicated in oral cancer. The practice recommends an oral cancer screening once a year for all patients over eighteen, and it is especially important for anyone over 40, anyone who smokes and anyone with a family history of cancer. Read oral cancer signs and symptoms.

Fitting dental care into a training schedule

• Book around your season. Schedule checkups and any needed treatment during lighter training blocks rather than right before a key event.
• Keep your six-month cleanings. A professional cleaning every six months is recommended, and appointments last a full 60 minutes.
• Use the late day. The office is open Monday 8:30 AM to 6:30 PM, Tuesday 8:30 AM to 5 PM, Wednesday 8:30 AM to 3:30 PM, Thursday 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM and Friday 8:30 AM to 4 PM.
• Tell the team about your sport. What you drink during training, whether you clench and whether you play contact sports all shape your preventive plan.

Teen athletes

For teens who want straighter teeth, Invisalign Teen aligners are removable, so there are no food restrictions and brushing and flossing stay normal. Super sealants protect the chewing surfaces of teeth and come with a lifetime warranty. A parent or legal guardian must be present during the consultation of a patient under 18. See Invisalign Teen.

How the practice helps keep you in the game

Checkups use digital X-rays, intraoral cameras and DIAGNOdent laser detection, which can find decay at its earliest stages, sometimes before it shows on an X-ray. For anyone who prefers to avoid fluoride, the practice offers calcium rebuilding treatments to help strengthen enamel for patients of all ages. If a cavity is found, tooth-colored, mercury-free composite fillings bond to the tooth and blend in. See general dentistry in Timonium.

Paying for your care

The practice is out of network with all dental insurance providers. You pay at the time of your visit, and the office files the claim on your behalf so your plan can reimburse you for whatever it covers. Health savings and flex plans are welcome, and financing is available through CareCredit, with no-interest options for up to 12 months, and Cherry, with plans from 3 to 24 months. See financing options.

Frequently asked questions

Are sports drinks bad for your teeth?

Many are both sugary and acidic, so sipping them over long sessions is hard on enamel. Use water for most workouts and rinse with water after sports drinks, gels or chews.

Can intense training affect my teeth?

It can. Mouth breathing dries the mouth, frequent sports fuel adds sugar and acid, and clenching under strain wears enamel. Simple habits and regular checkups offset most of it.

What should I do if a tooth gets knocked out during a game?

Put the tooth in milk and call a dentist immediately. A knocked-out tooth can be saved if you are seen quickly enough.

Is a sports mouthguard the same as a bite guard?

No. A sports mouthguard cushions impacts, while a bite guard protects teeth from grinding. The practice makes comfortable, clear bite guards custom-made for grinding.

Stay in the game with a checkup in Timonium

If it has been a while since your last exam, book it before your next season starts. Request an appointment or call (410) 453-9399. The office of Dr. Steven W. Haywood, DDS is at 108 W Timonium Rd, Ste 200, Timonium, MD 21093, serving Timonium, Lutherville, Cockeysville, Towson and Hunt Valley. New patients are always welcome.