Teeth.... dentistry.... and sports drinks.....

Is eating a gel and drinking water during training or a race about the same as drinking an isotonic sports drink? My dentist has filled me with gloom about the state of my teeth, and told me to give up sports drinks and orange squash. I wouldn't have said I drank too much of that stuff, but I am wondering if substituting it for gels and water would be better. 

She seemed to think I didn't really need sugary stuff - but I've always found it quite hard to get through a marathon (and indeed, marathon training) without a few jelly babies and a swig of lucozade sport. Never got on well with eating a banana or suchlike - chewing and running really doesn't work for me!

The dentist rattled off a big list of things for me to 'give up' - tea, coffee, alcohol, and fizzy drinks... but I don't drink any of them anyway (i'm a librarian... do I need to say any more?). I do have a weakness for chocolate and sweet stuff, but I wouldn't have said I overdid it. Which means I'm not really sure what I can do to stop the enamel giving up altogether.

Any ideas or should I buy myself a set of dentures and quit worrying?!!

hello Jo!

ive had my dentist tell me about sports drinks and the like...whcih is why I dont drink them.

Few things you can do:

Chew gum; Use flouride mouthwash; use some of the 'remineralising' toothpastes.

When you do run and you need to eat stuff....try and have some gum handy to chew after eating to neutralise the acid in your saliva.

LOL Popsider!

I got told off by my dentist for eating too healthily  fruit was wearing my enamel away. You can't bloody win. She told me to eat crisps as they leave a coating on your teeth and to have a small piece of cheese after a meal.

Brushing your teeth straight after eating's another bad one as the acid's high then so you do more damage, in effect sandpapering your teeth.

Now I brush my teeth first thing before breakfast and before my evening meal. I chew lots of gum in between and after I've eaten anything I rinse my mouth with water, esp after eating fruit.

Sorry - be VERY careful with mouthwash!  They kill off good bacteria as well as bad bacteria.  Any decent dentist will tell you that mouthwash is worse for you than just plain old brushing twice a day.

Do you brush twice a day by the way?  PROPER brushing?  Example:

MANUAL TOOTHBRUSH:  brush each tooth in a circular motion at least 10 times - move around the tooth and gum and after 10 brushes, move onto the next tooth.

ELECTRIC TOOTHBRUSH:  Contrary to popular (and wrong) belief, you don't use a brushing motion with your electric toothbrush.  Seperate your  mouth in quarters and spend 30seconds on each quarter slowly running the head along the front, top and back of each quarter.  Most brushes will vibrate at 30secs which means time to move on to the next quarter.

You should brush your teeth for AT LEAST 2 minutes twice a day.

And floss at least once a day.

OMG.... it's all so bloody complicated!

PloddingOn - thanks for the toothbrush tutorial! I promise I am *very* conscientious though, and do brush properly - I've got enamel hypoplasia (as a result of being ill as as child) so I have always known I had to pay extra attention. Just seems like I'm not doing enough! 

Hullo Nick! The gum's a good idea.... although I'm a bit of a freak and have always found the texture of chewing gum a bit disturbing.... but maybe that's just me!

I reckon Siance is right - you can't win! Maybe Popsider has a point about dentures....?!!!