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Endurance riding and dental health

Posted: Sat Oct 06, 2012 4:57 pm
by joomz
I've been thinking while on my regular 8 hour saturday rides, there's an awful lot of sugar in my mouth for an awfully long time. Sports drink, bars, gels... That can't be good for the old pearly whites can it?

Any ideas on stuff that's got plenty of carbs but isn't so rough on teeth? Are maltodextrin based products any better for teeth than glucose/fructose/sucrose? I've heard they're less sugary testing, but haven't tried them. Was thinking of mixing myself up some homebrew based on maltodextrin anyway, because the sugary taste of the stuff I've been using does get tiring after a few hours.

Any advice/experience appreciated!

Re: Endurance riding and dental health

Posted: Sat Oct 06, 2012 5:11 pm
by skull
There is a product called sukkie http://www.sukkie.com.au/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; which claims to have dental protection.

I haven't tried it.

I know what you mean about sugar issues tho, on a few multi day events having all that sugary stuff my teeth hurt.

Re: Endurance riding and dental health

Posted: Sat Oct 06, 2012 5:12 pm
by Reman
Jam sandwiches?

Re: Endurance riding and dental health

Posted: Sat Oct 06, 2012 5:55 pm
by joomz
Reman wrote:Jam sandwiches?
Not a bad idea! However, a jam sandwich has about 50g of carbohydrates. That's about how much I need per hour for an 8 hour ride (I think that's about right). I doubt I could fit 8 jam sandwiches in a jersey pocket. Unfortunately, compact carb sources are necessary for long rides I think, unless of course a backpack is permissible :D

Re: Endurance riding and dental health

Posted: Sat Oct 06, 2012 6:19 pm
by greyhoundtom
The only partial solution I can think of is to always have one biddon of plain water to rinse your mouth after eating or drinking products with a lot of sugar.

Swish and swallow. :wink: :lol:

Re: Endurance riding and dental health

Posted: Sat Oct 13, 2012 9:01 am
by boss
Make sure you drink before and after eating, so there is saliva in your mouth when eating sugary foods.

Avoid sports drinks when you have a dry mouth too. They contain sugars and acids that'll wreak havoc.

Saliva protects your teeth against decay.

But yes - water before and after eating - you will be fine. Say no to Gatorade et al.

Re: Endurance riding and dental health

Posted: Sun Oct 14, 2012 4:58 pm
by joomz
Good tips, keeping a bidon of plain water for a rinse makes sense.
Found a fact sheet here too : http://www.sportsdietitians.com.au/reso ... 202010.pdf" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
They suggest that the water isn't going to neutralize the acid of the sports drink, but at least it will help to get rid of a bit of residue and help saliva production.

Re: Endurance riding and dental health

Posted: Tue Oct 16, 2012 9:15 am
by AndyTheMan
Would chewing gum help? Not sure, but might be a decent suggestion?

Re: Endurance riding and dental health

Posted: Tue Oct 16, 2012 9:45 am
by winstonw
there's a view dental issues are a result of dehydration, which results in a drier mouth, and more opportunity for sugars to stick to teeth.
stay well hydrated. you could also pack dried fruit in addition to gels.

Re: Endurance riding and dental health

Posted: Wed Feb 18, 2015 8:56 am
by joomz
I just saw a pretty helpful article on this here:
http://bit.ly/TrainingDDS" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Echoes some of the contributions above. The last suggestion of trying to breathe through the nose during easier efforts is an interesting one, I'll have to give that a go.

Re: Endurance riding and dental health

Posted: Wed Feb 18, 2015 9:48 am
by Calvin27
No one has mentioned the obvious - mini toothbrush?

Re: Endurance riding and dental health

Posted: Wed Feb 18, 2015 2:26 pm
by boss
Calvin27 wrote:No one has mentioned the obvious - mini toothbrush?
Brushing after consuming sugar or acids is a no no.

The answer to this particular question is quite a simple one, ensuring you are hydrated and do not have a dry mouth when consuming sugary foods or beverages.

Re: Endurance riding and dental health

Posted: Wed Feb 18, 2015 9:27 pm
by yugyug
Personally on long rides I avoid sugary things except coconut juice and dried fruit. But anyway, the solution for the OP is sugar free chewing gum. it stimulates saliva to clean sugar off the teeth. Regarding the various sweeteners they use in sugar free gum (sugar alcohols like mannitol, sorbitol etc) all are safe for teeth but xylitol has an extra benefit in that it also re mineralizes teeth enamel, so buy that one. The only brand with xylitol in wide distribution is Extra Professional White, though there is a cheaper "Xylitol" brand made by Lotte which u can find in Asian supermarkets, or other brands online.