Sports and Your Teeth: Protecting Your Smile
During Exercise and Competition
PART 3
Special Considerations: Braces, Implants, and Crowns
Athletes with orthodontic appliances need mouthguards designed to fit over brackets and wires without damaging them. Stock guards rarely accommodate braces properly, and a poor fit can cause more harm than good. Custom orthodontic mouthguards allow space for the appliances while still providing protection. For patients with dental implants, the considerations are slightly different. Once an implant has fully integrated, it can withstand normal forces, but a direct blow could damage the crown or affect the underlying bone. Patients with multiple crowns or veneers on their front teeth should be especially diligent, as these restorations can crack under impact.
Care, Storage, and Replacement
A mouthguard only works if it is clean, intact, and fits properly. After each use, rinse it with cool water or brush it gently with a toothbrush. Avoid hot water, which can warp the material. Store it in a ventilated case rather than a sealed plastic bag, which can trap moisture and encourage bacterial growth. Many athletes make the mistake of leaving their mouthguard in a gym bag or car, where heat and contamination become issues.
How do you know when it is time for a replacement? If the guard feels loose, has visible tears or thinning, or no longer sits comfortably against your teeth, it has likely outlived its usefulness. For growing children, fit should be checked every few months. Adults competing regularly should plan on replacing their guard at least once per season, or sooner if they notice changes.
Sports, Hydration, and Tooth Enamel
Physical activity affects oral health in ways that extend beyond direct trauma. Hydration choices and breathing patterns during exercise can significantly impact tooth enamel over time.
Sports Drinks and Enamel Erosion
Many athletes and their families reach for sports drinks during and after workouts. These beverages are marketed for hydration and electrolyte replacement, but their dental implications are concerning. Most sports drinks are highly acidic and contain significant amounts of sugar. Frequent exposure to these beverages weakens tooth enamel, the protective outer layer of the tooth. Once enamel is eroded, it does not regenerate.
What makes the situation worse is timing. During intense exercise, athletes often breathe through their mouths, reducing saliva flow. Saliva plays a crucial role in neutralizing acids and protecting enamel. When the mouth is dry and acidic beverages are consumed repeatedly, the conditions for enamel erosion are ideal.
Energy Gels, Pre-Workouts, and the Problem of Frequent Sipping
Sports drinks are not the only concern. Energy gels, chews, and pre-workout supplements have become staples for endurance athletes and gym-goers alike. Many of these products are acidic, sugary, or both. The real issue is not a single dose but the pattern of use. Marathon runners sipping gels every 30 minutes, cyclists nursing energy drinks over a three-hour ride, or weightlifters taking acidic pre-workout formulas before every session all expose their teeth to repeated acid attacks.
Here is why frequency matters more than quantity: each time an acidic substance enters the mouth, enamel softens temporarily. Given enough time, saliva helps restore the balance. But when exposure is constant, as with frequent sipping, the enamel never gets a chance to recover. One large sports drink consumed quickly is actually less damaging than the same amount sipped over two hours. Many patients are surprised to learn this.
Mouth breathing during endurance training compounds the problem. Runners, cyclists, and swimmers often breathe heavily through their mouths for extended periods, drying out the oral environment. Without adequate saliva, acids linger longer and do more damage.(To be continued)