York Orthodontics

Exercise Impacts your Dental Health & Your Dental Health Impacts Your Orthodontic Treatment

Dental Health

We all know that working out is great for our overall health, however, did you know how it is impacting your dental health?

Exercise can reduce risk of gum disease

Working out 3 to 5 times per week could reduce the risk of gum disease since it reduces inflammation in your body. Gum disease may lead to more serious health issues, for instance, cardiovascular disease & diabetes. Prevention of gum disease is really important in order to maintain your overall body health, including your oral health.

Past periodontal condition, smoking, and poor oral hygiene have a negative impact on an orthodontic treatment.

Exercise can protect & strengthen your teeth

Working out improves your digestive system by improving blood flow throughout your body & allows your body to absorb nutrients more effectively. Absorbed vitamins & minerals help your body tissues to resist infection in your mouth. These vitamins & minerals are essential for strengthening your teeth & protecting your smile. In an orthodontic treatment healthy teeth are easier to straighten.

 

Exercise can reduce the chances of getting serious health issues

Lack of exercise can lead to obesity & obesity can cause diabetes & hypertension. These are some of the examples of health issues that known for contributing to poor oral health. In general people with less body mass index (BMI) have a better oral & overall health. The healthy range for BMI is 18.5 – 24.9, more than 25 considered overweight. You can calculate your BMI by dividing your weight (Kg) by your height (m2).

Working out regularly will increase heart rate, get the blood flowing & in general will keep your body healthy, including your mouth. However, there are a few problems when it comes to exercise & oral health. Main causes of dental issues among athletes are as follows:

Sports Drinks

Some people prefer to rehydrate during exercise by consuming sports drinks or energy drinks. Unfortunately, the sugar in these drinks creates unhealthy acids that coat the teeth and build up a plaque. Dental plaque is a yellowish substance that builds up around the teeth as a result of bacteria live in your mouth naturally. The bacteria feed on sugars & produce acids which cause an irritation in your gums.

Plaque is not something that we can prevent from forming, however, we can remove it by brushing twice a day and flossing at least once a day. If the plaque is not removed from the teeth, will develop gum disease during an orthodontic treatment.

Breathing Improperly

Most people during training tend to breathe through their mouth which cause the reduction of the flow of saliva, causing dry mouth which prepare the environment for bacteria to grow & thrive. Bacteria that enter the lungs through the process of inhaling can cause health problems such as bronchitis & pneumonia.

Mouth breathing is the most common sign of tongue thrust. Orthodontists, in order to provide the best orthodontic treatment, have struggled over the years to fight the strength of the tongue. Tongue thrusting occurs when the patient presses his/her tongue against the front teeth; when speaking, swallowing, or resting the tongue. Constant tongue thrusting can cause misalignment of the teeth which can be fixed by an orthodontic treatment. For correcting this problem tongue thrusting appliances are given to patients to worn up to a year before braces are put on.

Nose is equipped with a filtering mechanism which purifies the air we breathe before it enters the lungs; also, it will help prevent the creation of an environment in your mouth that encourages cavities, gum disease & gingivitis. Buteyko breathing method can help improve nasal breathing through the breathing exercises that are designed to help people normalize their breathing patterns & restore natural nasal breathing.

 

We should learn how to exercise properly in order to improve & maintain our overall health, including our oral health. With a healthy diet & proper breathing patterns we can eliminate or decrease the oral health problems while working out. With a healthy teeth we can move forward with an orthodontic treatment to get a beautiful smile we always wanted.

If you or someone in your family and friends is considering orthodontic treatment, contact our office for a complimentary consultation session with Dr. Nima Mir, at 289 588 8747. At York Orthodontics we offer the latest in leading edge orthodontic treatment to help you create the beautiful smile we all deserve.