Wanting to get out to Colorado State Parks? We know hiking, mountain biking at Horsetooth Reservoir, and climbing season are in full swing. Before you head out, here are some friendly tips to help protect your dental care during outdoor activities.
Whether you are enjoying one of Lory State Park’s 28 miles of hiking, biking, or rock climbing, we want to prepare you for what you might encounter, how to look out for dental emergencies, and how to simply avoid them with proper care.
Here is how outdoor activities could affect your overall oral health, starting with three common ways dental emergencies can happen.
3 Reasons How Dental Emergencies Happen with Outdoor Activities
Trail Nutrition — While you are burning hundreds of calories out on a trail, you need to replenish yourself. This typically includes protein bars, energy gels, dried fruit, or an electrolyte drink. These are great options for fueling your body, but they can also leave a sticky, sugary residue on your teeth when you are miles away from your toothbrush.
We understand that you may reach for an electrolyte drink to replenish yourself or grab a quick snack on the go, but these can leave sugar and acid on your teeth.
We recommend switching to options such as low-sugar energy drinks, cheese, nuts, or seeds. Wash each snack down with water to help remove any food stuck to your teeth. With these choices, we want you to stay happy and healthy on your ride or hike.
High-Altitude and Dehydration — The air in Colorado is thinner and drier than in most areas, especially when going higher up in the mountains or trails. It is normal while biking, running, or hiking to breathe through your mouth to catch your breath.
We want to educate you on how this can lead to xerostomia, commonly known as dry mouth. Saliva is the best thing in your mouth to naturally cleanse away acidic, sugary, and food particles left behind. When dry mouth occurs, it leaves room for cavities and gum disease.
For your best health, we recommend not only drinking water when you are thirsty but continuously sipping water throughout your hiking, biking, or any outdoor trail activity to stay extra hydrated. This helps support your smile during longer outings.
Physical Strain and Impact Injuries — Unexpected injuries from falling or collision are common with outdoor activities. At Ryan Rush DDS PLLC, we can fix any crack, chip, or broken tooth. If you are experiencing a cracked or chipped tooth, give us a call so we can help assess the urgency of your oral health. You may also benefit from a mouthguard to prevent damage to teeth, depending on the sport.
While doing these stress-inducing activities, you can often start to clench or grind your teeth. This causes flattened teeth, tooth pain, headaches, and jaw pain. If these problems continue, they are grounds to come in and get checked out and fixed, helping alleviate the pain and get you back outside safely.
How To Keep You And Your Smile Strong Outdoors
We recommend that any outdoor enthusiast get checkups every six months so that we can keep an eye out for any injuries or concerns. With that in mind, we want you to take in every mile of the trails this summer while staying cautious about the risk of dental emergencies outdoors.
Call us or book an appointment at Ryan Rush DDS PLLC in Fort Collins, CO, for any concerns, pain, or cracked or chipped teeth. We can fix you and keep you strong, in the chair or on the trails.