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Kit Roberts
A dentist has issued advice on four causes of 'gym mouth', which is an informal term for how going to the gym can affect the inside of your mouth.
Dr Deepa Chopra is a dentist at Whites Dental, and advised that although regular exercise is important, there are some things which could affect our oral health.
This could lead to things like bad breath due to the impact of certain factors, as well as exposing our teeth and gums to other risk factors.
Explaining the rationale behind the causes and what to watch out for, Dr Chopra said: “The term ‘gym mouth’ is not a clinical diagnosis.
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“However, being aware of how exercise habits may affect oral health could help people protect their teeth while pursuing their fitness goals.”
So what are some of the things to watch out for?
Exercising means that we need to get more oxygen into our system as the heart beat faster.
After a certain point you will probably find that breathing through your nose is not enough anymore, so have to breathe through your mouth - unless you're extremely fit already of course, and even then.
Dr Chopra explained the impact this could have, saying: “One of the most common factors during intense exercise is mouth breathing.
“Breathing through the mouth for prolonged periods may reduce saliva flow. Saliva plays an important role in washing away bacteria and neutralising acids, so reduced levels could increase the risk of dry mouth and bad breath.”
These often have high sugar content, similar to other sweet drinks.
While they might be associated with health and fitness, the high levels of sugar mean that these could pose a similar risk as things like soda.
Dr Chopra said: “Frequent exposure to acidic or sugary drinks could increase the risk of enamel softening or decay over time."
Fortunately, there's an easy way round this - just swap out your sports drink for good old water.
“Choosing water where possible may help support saliva production," said Dr Chopra.
This is one which is more dependant on the time of exercise that you're doing.
If you are hitting the weights at the gym, then you might find that you clench your teeth as you lift, or if you're hitting a wall during cardio it might have the same impact.
Dr Chopra said: “Repeated clenching may place pressure on teeth and jaw muscles.
“Over time this could contribute to enamel wear or jaw discomfort.”
While getting in some calories after a workout can be deeply satisfying, a lot of the snacks specifically targeted towards fitness also have high sugar content.
“These foods may provide fuel for bacteria if they remain on the tooth surface,” Dr Chopra advised.
So, by all means have a snack afterwards - just make sure you brush your teeth.