Two people sitting on a couch smiling and looking at a newspaper

Protecting Your Teeth During Physical Activity

When it comes to keeping your body healthy, regular exercise is one of the most powerful things you can do. Exercising regularly helps to strengthen your body, improving critical things like cardiovascular health and bone density while lowering your risk for problems like heart disease. Unfortunately, though, physical activity—indoors or outdoors—also carries a risk for your smile. Physical activity of any kind increases the risk of trauma to the teeth, which is bad news for the health and beauty of your smile. But with some thought and care, you can protect your teeth during exercise and keep both your body and your smile healthy and strong.

Tips for Protecting Teeth During Exercise

Follow these tips to minimize the risk of damage to your smile during exercise of physical activity:

  • Say No to Sports Drinks: While they may contain electrolytes, most sports drinks are also chock full of sugar that can wreak havoc on tooth enamel. Avoid sports drinks to protect your teeth from cavities and decay.
  • Wear a Full Helmet: If you’re playing a contact sport like football or hockey, wearing a full helmet is critical. This will provide a first line of defense against falls, impacts, and other dangers to the teeth.
  • Wear a Mouthguard: The best way to protect your teeth from trauma is to wear a custom-made mouthguard. This is the only way to optimally protect your teeth from falls, hits, or any other kind of damage, and failing to wear one increases your risk for dental trauma 60 times over!

Cosmetic Dental Services

Unfortunately, sometimes accidents happen even with the best safety preparations – and when they do, our cosmetic dentistry services can help to restore your smile. If you’ve suffered a cracked, chipped, or otherwise damaged tooth from exercise or physical activity, we offer a variety of solutions to help you restore your beautiful smile:

Contact Your Green Bay Family Dentists
Exercise can pose a risk to the health of your teeth, but following these simple tips can help to mitigate your risk and protect your smile from damage and decay. If you have more questions on protecting your teeth during activity or want a custom-made mouthguard of your own, just call us at (920) 437-3376, reach out to us at our Contact Us page, or Request an Appointment! online at our Green Bay, WI office. We can’t wait to hear from you, and we remind you to protect your smile during physical activity!

Dr. Adam Koch, D.D.S.

About the Author

Dr. Adam Koch, D.D.S.

Dr. Adam Koch is proud to follow in the footsteps of his father and grandfather as a third-generation family dentist in Green Bay. He received his undergraduate from the University of Northern Iowa and earned his board certification and Doctor of Dental Surgery degree from Creighton University School of Dentistry. Dr. Koch is also a member of the advisory board for the NWTC Dental Hygiene Program. View Dr. Koch full bio>>

Blog Images