A recent report has emerged which shows that dentists were extremely surprised at the poor dental quality of many of the athletes at the London 2012 Olympics. Whilst most of us remember the beaming smiles of the likes of Mo Farrah and Usain Bolt, the fact is that many of the other athletes were found to have a number of dental problems. Considering the care that these people take of their health in other areas, this may come as quite a surprise.<\/p>\n
When questioned about the state of their oral health, many of these athletes admitted that it had an impact on their performance and also their training. \u00a0Whilst this may not seem to be of immediate concern to the vast majority of us who do not take part in sport at a professional level, most of us perform tasks on a daily basis which require concentration and also physical effort, even if this is solely trying to muster up the energy to play with our young children.<\/p>\n
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One of the key reasons thought to be behind the athletes dental problems was the high amount of carbohydrates eaten. These combined with the high energy drinks that are consumed during training and performance, inevitably had a negative effect on their teeth.<\/p>\n
Whilst most of us do not consume the type of diet that a typical athlete might, it is a fact of life that many foods contain hidden sugars and it is extremely difficult to avoid these.<\/p>\n
Because many athletes had poor teeth, a number of them were in pain to some degree but were so focussed on their performance that they preferred to defer any possible dental procedures until after their races. Whilst this may have worked for some, others found that the pain caused them to have disturbed sleep and therefore were not sufficiently rested for the big occasion.<\/p>\n
In our everyday life, we all have tasks to be fulfilled, whether this is making important business decisions or dealing with matters that arise in our daily life. Few of us would deny that when we are not feeling at our best, these can be difficult to cope with.<\/p>\n
If our teeth are neglected we are likely to notice a drop in our energy levels as the bacteria in our mouth takes hold and causes gum disease. This, in time, will eventually lead to damage of the very bone that holds the teeth in place and cause a likely loss of the teeth<\/a>.<\/p>\n Studies have also indicated that those who do not brush their teeth twice a day are at increased risk of suffering from heart problems too, and although this has not been definitively proven, the suggestions that this is likely should be cause enough for most people to re-assess their oral health care.<\/p>\n For some people of course, it may already be too late to take preventative action and corrective procedures may be needed to restore full dental health.<\/p>\n