Don't let Dental Issues slow you down
Good Oral Health Helps to Improve Your Sporting Performance
Dr Saul Konviser, who has a special interest in Sports Dentistry, understands the importance of oral hygiene, diet and trauma prevention by providing expert dental advice to individuals involved in sports, whether exercising regularly for fitness or training competitively.
Research shows that there is a direct link between poor dental health and poor general health; for example bacteria from a dental abscess or gum disease has been identified in organs such as the heart, lungs and brain.
In addition, individuals who participate in regular exercise have a tendency to consume food and drink that are high in sugar and acid content. As a result, this increases the risks of tooth decay and acid erosion which can lead to sensitive, weak or even fractured teeth causing severe pain to patients.
This serves as a pertinent reminder to amateur and professional sportspeople of how toothache, gum disease or dental infections have the potential to upset the balance and impact their sporting performance.
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Professional Custom Made Mouthguards
Mouthguards help to protect the teeth, gums and supporting bone against sports-related trauma, as well as damage that can be caused from repetitive clenching or grinding during exercise. Our mouthguards are fully customisable from colours, text to artwork.
Each contact sport carries its own risks and therefore mouthguards need to be tailored as such; our knowledge allows us to design a mouthguard appropriate to the sport, whether it is hockey, rugby, boxing or even snowboarding. A dental trauma is not only inconvenient but usually costly to resolve – a custom made mouthguard is one of the best preventative steps to take, whether amateur or professional.
Clenching is very common during high intensity training (HIT) or short-term strain such as when weight-lifting or even on a rowing machine; such habits are usually subconscious therefore can be initially difficult to identify however, the use of a mouthguard whilst training helps to relieve the pressure placed on the jaw joint and protect the teeth from fracturing. There is even research to suggest that a custom-made mouthguard can help improve performance.
Dental Trauma
Even with the best level of protection, sporting accidents can happen and should be managed as soon as possible to ensure we are able to treat them effectively.
The majority of dental trauma incidents result in a broken tooth, usually to a front tooth which is relatively straightforward to repair. However, any impact will be assessed and various diagnostic tests will be carried out to assess the extent of the damage. Following this, we will regularly review the area as there can be a delay of weeks, months or even years before symptoms may appear.
In more severe cases of trauma such as a tooth being knocked out, time is of the essence. The tooth should be rinsed under cold water, touching the white surface or crown only (never the yellow surface or root) and kept in milk or saliva until able to visit the practice.