Why My Dentist Wants You To Stop Running
I’m all for healthy debate but when someone’s got their fingers in your face, believe me, you’re in no position to argue.
My dentist is a nerd.
How do I know? Because she told me — gleefully. She’s an absolute dental nerd. And frankly, I’ll take the nerds any day over a fly-by-night johnny-come-lately (other hyphenated phrases are available).
With her face just inches from my terrified gaze, Natasha has something on her mind. It’s not my gums. It’s the YouTube lecture she watched at the weekend — ‘It’s what I do for fun’ she informs me, almost wistfully.
Seeing as we’re stuck here together for the next 90 minutes, I emit a guttural grunt of encouragement, which loosely translates as: do go on.
So she does, picking up a theme from our last appointment: why running is bad for your teeth.
Specifically, so her video lecture and recent conference informed her, the problem lies with inflammation and how running can exacerbate gum problems. I don’t know a whole lot (read: anything) about this but the evidence does seem to be there. The evidence also appears to be in my mouth.
Here’s why my dentist wants you to stop running, my gummy friend:
Runs and Gums
If you run with a group and you’ve hit a certain age, you’ve probably got one good knee between the lot of you. But Runner’s Knee isn’t the only body part under pressure, Runner’s Teeth (and gums) also appear to be a thing. Sorry about that.
But the issue doesn’t appear to be limited to runners if that makes you feel any better.
Back in 2018, UCL’s Eastman Dental Institute carried out an oral health screening of more than 350 sportsmen and women from nine GB Olympic teams — the largest ever study of its kind.
Here’s the startling result:
Nearly half (49.1%) of the athletes were found to have untreated tooth decay, 77% had gingivitis, an early indicator of gum disease, and 39% self-reported having bleeding gums while cleaning their teeth, a sign of gum inflammation. Only 1.1% of the participants had ‘excellent’ periodontal health.
More than a third (32%) reported that these conditions had impacted negatively on their sporting performance, along with their ability to eat (34.6%), relax and sleep (15.1%) and smiling and self-confidence (17.2%). — www.ucl.ac.uk
It’s an easy mistake to make, but I’m actually not an Olympic athlete. And despite never being picked for the school team never mind the Olympic team, I do train regularly and right now, like a lot of us, I’m entering the Autumn training season in preparation for a spring marathon.
My mileage is going to ramp up, and everything, at some point, is going to hurt — I will have to swap G&Ts for an early night before my long run [SHUDDER].
And while you up the protein, stretch out the niggles and dust off the dreaded foam roller — no amount of Pilates is going to counteract the apparent impact on your oral health.
Red, Red, Whine
So what, exactly, is going wrong?
Natasha believes, in part, it’s the impact long-term inflammation has on the body. Recent studies, like the one talked about here from the Harvard Medical School, dip a tentative toe into the pond linking oral health to heart disease.
Sure, factors like smoking and genetic pre-determiners play their part but there’s something there, according to Robert H. Shmerling, MD, Senior Faculty Editor, Harvard Health Publishing; Editorial Advisory Board Member, Harvard Health Publishing:
The connection between poor oral health and overall health may not be limited to cardiovascular disease. Studies have linked periodontal disease (especially if due to infection with a bacterium called porphyromonas gingivalis) and rheumatoid arthritis. In addition, a 2018 study found a link between this same bacterium and risk of pancreatic cancer. However, as in the case of the connection with heart disease, an “association” is not the same as causation; we’ll need additional research to figure out the importance of these observations.
A little too much on the fence for your liking? Maybe, but whether association or causation, good oral health, especially for runners like you and me should be a priority.
If you’re wondering what it is that might be behind your sore gums or painful teeth, here are some of the more common culprits:
Mouth Breathing — a habit common to most runners, but which dries your mouth out and dries up your saliva. A dry mouth means trapped debris that would otherwise be washed away and that can lead to decay and cavities.
Gels and Chews — essential for fuelling you during those long miles but which can be loaded with tooth-damaging sugars. The solution — rinse your mouth out where possible after consumption.
Clenched Jaw/Teeth Grinding — the struggle is real but gritting your teeth might not be great for your smile down the road. Running with a clenched jaw or teeth clamped shut has the potential for jarring and loosening those pearly whites of yours, not to mention causing headaches and general pain.
Never Gonna Give You Up
As much as I love Natasha and after an hour and a half of her peering into my mouth, I do believe we might be best friends, but I’m not stopping running.
The last thing I want to do is undo all the amazing work she’s done on me. Nor do I disbelieve her — anyone who spends their free time listening to dental podcasts can’t be wrong, I just don’t think I can give up on something that brings me so much joy and a mental health boost like nothing else.
Besides, I’ve already paid my marathon entry fee.
But I promise I won’t take good oral health for granted, I’ll up my vitamin D, use those weird little brushes more, and hang out with my new BFF every six to 12 months.
But give up running? I don’t think I can.
What about you, can you relate to any running-induced toothiness?
PS — Natasha*, I know you’ve got an amazing article in you about nutrition and oral health.
