female cyclists with dental problems?

[mollygidget]

Hi!

I'm new to the forum, because generally when I have cycling questions, I can turn to my team. However, this one is directed at other women cyclists. I'm a really serious cyclist, I race pretty much year round, train 15-25 hours a week, did an Ironman last summer, etc. I recently had to get a bunch of dental work done, and when my dentist was done, he asked if I was bulimic. He said that the erosion on my enamel was consistent with what he would see for someone with bulimia. I'm not bulimic, never have been, so I was obviously confused. Then I remembered a female teammate who, upon visiting her dentist, got asked the exact same thing. I was wondering if anyone else has had a similar experience, or whether it's just a weird coincidence that she and I were asked the same thing. I'm thinking if there are a few women cyclists out there who have heard the same thing, there might be something cycling-related (sports drinks from water bottles, saliva, something) that's causing it.

If any of you have had this issue or know a female (or male) cyclist who has, I would really appreciate your input!


Thanks!!

[Melalvai]

That is really interesting. I wonder if it is related to the calcium issue. Cycling is not weight-bearing exercise so elite cyclists are at risk for osteoporosis. I wouldn't have thought that would extend to the teeth, but I don't know too much about calcium partitioning.

[Eden]

I've head that sports drinks can be a problem. http://www.livestrong.com/article/262925-relationship-between-sport-drinks-dental-erosion/

[Thorn]

I've head that sports drinks can be a problem. http://www.livestrong.com/article/262925-relationship-between-sport-drinks-dental-erosion/

Yep...that's what I was going to say. Same thing about the enamel, but I was accused of a hard-candy habit. But

I switched from sports drink to shot-blocks and water so that I could reduce the amount of time I had sugar contact (I'm a constant sipper of fluids). Brushing after riding and on long rides, xylotol gum in the middle. It seems to have helped.

[jessmarimba]

Sports drinks, gels, gu, gummies, etc are awwwfuuulllll for your teeth. Especially if you're riding, the sugar just sticks (if I'm running and eating gummies, I spend miles just picking them out of my teeth...sorry for tmi)

I switched to nuun and try to eat real food if possible (I love little baked potato strips but they squish really easily if you fall on them...so gross). If I'm eating something really sugary on a ride I try to swig some water/nuun, swish it around, and spit it out after I eat.

[OakLeaf]

Hmmmm... anyone know whether sports drinks that are based on maltodextrin, with little to no simple sugar, are just as hard on your teeth??

You've got me worried now...

[Owlie]

At least according to what my dentist says, if the bacteria in your mouth can break it down and metabolize it, it's not a good thing to have in your mouth for long periods. It looks like they can break down maltodextrins.
Here's an abstract, garnered from a quick Google search:
http://www.jodjournal.com/article/S0300-5712%2801%2900034-3/abstract

Guess it's time to add a quick teeth-brushing to the post-ride routine...

[KnottedYet]

My dentist (who is a serious cyclist) gave me the complete lecture about tooth enamel and sports drinks after he found out I was biking a lot.

I pretty much ignored him, because I don't drink THAT much electrolyte-carbo mix.

I love Clif Shot drink mix and Shot Blox. I use those and water and baggies of cheddar cheese and pecans when I ride. So far, my dentist hasn't berated me more about what I consume on the bike and my teeth.

(Supposedly the critters in fermented milk products are protective to the teeth, and I like cheese anyway. Maybe that's off-setting the Clif Shot drink mix. I dunno.)

[zoom-zoom]

Edit: your original question, why both you and your friend were asked? Eating disorders are very common in elite female atheletes. Especially ballet, gymnastics, figure skating, swimming, cycling.... He probably just assumed or was obligated to inquire. Not asking would have been irresponsible/unethical. OTOH, most people with eating disorders will not admit to it when asked.

Yep, it's called the Female Athlete Triad (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Female_athlete_triad). It's good that doctors are aware of this and checking with their patients...just to be safe. I am a chubby runner, but hang out on a running site where this topic has come up several times--especially with HS athletes.

[WindingRoad]

Another thing to think about is your saliva content. My best friend has a terrible time with cavities and she brushes her teeth all the time (several times a day in fact). She was told by her dentist that she has especially acidic saliva and some people can have that cause tooth decay quicker. Apparently it is a viscosity issue too. If you are dehydrated the saliva is thicker and sticks on the teeth and causes damage even more. I guess make sure you are always staying hydrated too.

[NadiaMac]

Breathing through the mouth a lot can apparently contribue to increased plaque (and gunk generally adhering more vigorously to the teeth in the front). I don't know if others primarily mouth breath while cycling or working out, but I do due to allergic congestion 95% of the year. My dentist noticed that I have plaque buildup on the front teeth rather than the rear like most people and she attributed it to my mouth breathing.

not sure this is relevant to the OP, but am throwing it our there.

[mollygidget]

Thank you all so much for the replies! I've read about the triad issue, I guess what happened to my friend and I is just generally because of having dental issues on top of being fit/"skinny", so for a dentist who doesn't deal with athletes, I guess to him that reads "potential eating disorder."

I've been reading up on the sports drinks/dental issue, but it seems like a lot of journals are just constantly contradicting each other!

[OakLeaf]

Never heard of that. I would think anything with baking soda would neutralize acid.

But another thing is that I've always read that you should NOT brush too soon after consuming acids, because that's when the enamel is at its weakest.

Swish with bicarb, or a mouthwash based on tea tree oil or thymol, maybe ...