We know that having healthy teeth reduces the risk of arthritis and we also know that good dental hygiene can reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease. But a new study has just insisted on the need to take care of our teeth, indicating that healthy teeth can improve our sports performance.
Brush your teeth to prevent gingivitis
At a conference on sport and oral health which has just been held in London, dentists even went so far as to affirm that among top athletes, a place on the podium during a competition could be played according to the health of the teeth!
At this conference, dentists explained that unhealthy teeth can disrupt sleep, which is never good for sports performance, and that gum inflammation can affect the rest of the body, and therefore also harm performance.
“The daily use of dental floss and mouthwash will not transform a weekend jogger into an athlete ready to be selected for the Olympic Games. But good dental hygiene allows for better performance in the practice of a sporting activity” underlines Prof. Ian Needleman, director of the International Center for Oral Health.
Our mouth contains many bacteria. However, if you do not take sufficient care of your teeth and neglect visits to the dentist, these bacteria proliferate and cause gingivitis. The resulting bleeding causes bacteria to pass into the bloodstream and this affects our physical fitness.
Improving your performance: this will perhaps encourage the 29% of French people who do not like going to the dentist to dare to make an appointment with their practitioner!
