It’s not the chips and dip, the beer and the guacamole, or the hot dogs and French fries that can wreck your smile during football season. Carelessness and poor choices are the true evildoers. Here’s how to enjoy a little pigskin without sacrificing your teeth in the process.
Think Before You Chug
Sports drinks and thirst quenchers can rehydrate your body quickly and replace those electrolytes you lose when you’ve been hoofing it up and down the field or tossing the football with your son at the park. But a rigorous workout calls for water – that is your best refresher after sweating through a few tough downs.
Energy drinks are very high in caffeine – some contain as much as 500mg of caffeine. To put that number in perspective, that is the equivalent of 14 cans of soda. Would you chug that much Coke or Pepsi to get your system back in working order?
Always brush as soon as possible after you’ve chugged a sports or energy drink, or at the very least rinse out your mouth with water. These simple measures can prevent tooth decay and cavities and protect your smile.
Gear Up Your Smile
Whether you like to scrimmage with your old fraternity buddies on Saturday afternoon or enjoy a game of pick-up in the backyard, the smart way to play any sport is to wear the proper mouth gear. Accidents happen, and if there’s any possibility that the sport you’re playing – football or otherwise – can get rough, it’s crucial to take the proper precautions.
Too many people have been injured in the name of their favorite sport. Teeth get chipped, knocked out, and smiles that were once perfectly straight can be damaged in a second. Porcelain veneers or Cerinate lumineers can get your teeth back in shape quickly, but the fact of the matter is that you should be protecting your smile from the start.
You may only be on the Eagles roster in your biggest daydreams, but you can practice your sport as safely as they try to every time they get on the field.
If your smile is far from a touchdown, contact Dr. Ken Cirka at his Philadelphia dental office to schedule your consultation and free new client exam.
