Protecting Teeth When You Have Too Much Fun
Summertime is just around the corner, which can mean a variety of things: barbecues, swimming, outdoor sports, fireworks, teeth problems…wait…what? It may not be noticed, but summer is actually a hotbed of dental injuries and trauma, a depressing note for an otherwise exciting time of the year. As your trusted family dentists around Tuckahoe, Richmond, and Henrico, we at Short Pump Dental would like to take this time to give you a few tips on how to keep your teeth safe this summer when you may be having too much fun to pay close attention.
Wear a Mouthguard
When you’re playing any sport with the potential for physical contact, it’s important to wear a mouthguard. Mouthguards actually prevent over 200,000 injuries to the mouth per year and their usage can also reduce the severity of any dental trauma that happens to occur. The American Dental Association recommends wearing a mouthguard for many different sports, which include basketball, baseball, soccer, football, and volleyball.
Wear a Helmet
Since it’s summertime, many people will take advantage of the warm weather to go out biking. The first thing you want to do when you’re riding a bike is put on a helmet. Wearing a helmet won’t just protect you from concussions or other head-related injuries – they can keep you from suffering trauma to your teeth as well. No matter how short the bike ride is, make sure to strap on a helmet before you start riding.
Cool It on the Sports Drinks
While sports drinks may be a great way to keep refreshed in the hot weather, these drinks are also filled with plenty of sugar. Drinking too much of these sports drinks can do damage to your tooth enamel and cause tooth decay and other harmful dental problems. You’ll want to limit your consumption of sports drinks in addition to other sugary drinks, including soda and energy drinks.
Don’t Stay in the Pool for Too Long
While swimming may be one of the most popular activities during this time of the year, it can actually be harmful to stay in the pool for too long. Pools have treatment chemicals that are in the water, which can create a tooth condition known as swimmer’s calculus. Swimmer’s calculus causes brown or yellow tartar deposits to appear on the teeth and stain them. This can start to occur when a person spends over six hours in a swimming pool during the course of a week.
Contact Your Tuckahoe Family Dentists!
Short Pump Dental offers services from routine dental cleanings to dental implants and beyond. If you’re interested in scheduling an appointment with us, feel free to fill out our online appointment request form or give us a call at (804) 747-0116. Please don’t hesitate to contact us if you have any questions or concerns. We can’t wait to hear from you!