Let’s examine these needs:
1) Fluids-for performance and health, you need to stay hydrated.
How much water do you need?
Every day you lose water through your breath, perspiration, urine and bowel movements. For your body to function properly, you must replenish its water supply by consuming beverages and foods that contain water. So how much fluid does the average, healthy adult living in a temperate climate need? The Institute of Medicine determined that an adequate intake (AI) for men is roughly 3 liters (about 13 cups) of total beverages a day. The AI for women is 2.2 liters (about 9 cups) of total beverages a day.

Everyone has heard the advice, “Drink eight 8-ounce glasses of water a day.” That’s about 1.9 liters, which isn’t that different from the Institute of Medicine recommendations. Although the “8 by 8″ rule isn’t supported by hard evidence, it remains popular because it’s easy to remember. Just keep in mind that the rule should be reframed as: “Drink at least eight 8-ounce glasses of fluid a day,” because all fluids count toward the daily total.

You may need to modify your total fluid intake depending on how active you are, the climate you live in, your health status, and if you’re pregnant or breast-feeding.

If you exercise or engage in any activity that makes you sweat, you need to drink extra water to compensate for the fluid loss. An extra 400 to 600 milliliters (about 1.5 to 2.5 cups) of water should suffice for short bouts of exercise, but intense exercise lasting more than an hour (for example, running a marathon) requires more fluid intake. How much additional fluid you need depends on how much you sweat during exercise, and the duration and type of exercise.

2) Electrolytes:
When you sweat, you lose salt and other minerals. For longer workouts, you need to replace electrolytes. This can be done by using electrolyte replacements like SaltSticks. These supplements help replace electrolytes without sugar. You can dissolve in water or take with water. One capsule per 30-60 min of exercise is what is recommended. You need to adjust to your own sweat rate.

3) Sugar (Energy):
A general rule for most individuals is you don’t need to consume energy if you are exercising less than 90 min. Endurance athletes will need to consider ingesting calories during training and races, but most of us training less than 90 minutes don’t need to worry about ingesting calories.

So, most of us don’t need a Sports Drink during exercise. If you do enjoy one, be sure to be aware of how damaging they can be to your teeth and take adequate precautions as mentioned in our previous blog.

It is believed that consuming these drinks will improve sports performance and energy levels and that they are ‘better’ than soda.  Most of our patients are shocked to learn that these drinks are essentially bathing their teeth with acid.

Researchers examined the acidity levels in 13 sports drinks and nine energy drinks. They found that the acidity levels can vary between brands of beverages and flavors of the same brand. To test the effect of the acidity levels, the researchers immersed samples of human tooth enamel in each beverage for 15 minutes, followed by immersion in artificial saliva for two hours. This cycle was repeated four times a day for five days, and the samples were stored in fresh artificial saliva at all other times.

This type of testing simulates the same exposure that a large proportion of American teens and young adults are subjecting their teeth to on a regular basis when they drink one of these beverages every few hours.

The researchers found that damage to enamel was evident after only five days of exposure to sports or energy drinks, although energy drinks showed a significantly greater potential to damage teeth than sports drinks. In fact, the authors found that energy drinks caused twice as much damage to teeth as sports drinks.

What does this mean?

• It is important to minimize intake of sports and energy drinks
• Chew sugar-free gum or rinse the mouth with water following consumption of the drinks.
•  Wait at least an hour to brush teeth after consuming sports and energy drinks. Otherwise, you will be spreading acid onto the tooth surfaces, increasing the erosive action.

- Dr. Anthony Markiewicz

Wow! United Concordia has introduced a new program called UCWellness after a recent study showed that health care costs for diabetics were reduced by an average of $1800.00/year when periodontal (gum) disease is treated and periodontal health is maintained. It was found that hospitalizations were decreased by 33% and doctor visits by 13%.

The program provides additional benefits for periodontal maintenance, active periodontal therapy, and some surgical procedures to help diabetics treat and control periodontal disease. This is revolutionary change that is supported by research data.

- from Dr. Anthony Markiewicz

Of course, using toothpaste with the ADA Seal of Approval is a good source of fluoride, but optimal levels of absorption can only be achieved if you use it as directed: brushing twice a day for two to three minutes each time.

At our office, you can receive professionally applied topical fluoride during your next dental checkup. This is extremely important for people who are at high risk for tooth decay, including children, people with less than perfect oral hygiene, people undergoing orthodontic treatment, and people with weakened enamel due to lifestyle choices or genetic factors. If you have any questions regarding fluoride, please feel free to ask us at the office. We want you to have the healthiest smile possible.

We also encourage you to call us and let us know if you have any new phone numbers or if your contact information has changed!

Thank you! Have a great week!

We are trained to diagnose, treat, and prevent oral health problems. Please let us now if you have any questions about your oral health during your next appointment. Take care of your teeth!

To better be able to serve you, we are always improving our skills and technology.  We have recently incorporated the Isolite system, one of the most inventive technologies to come along in recent years.

The Isolite system improves patient comfort and reduces procedure time. At the system’s core is a soft, flexible mouthpiece that protects a patient’s tongue and cheek while aspirating fluid and oral debris. The bright LED light source illuminates the work area inside your mouth more easily and effectively than ever before.  Isolite overcomes many of the obstacles that can make dental treatment more difficult for both the patient and the dentist.

Features of the Isolite System include the following:

• A soft, pliable material protects the patient’s tongue and cheek in a comfortable manner during a procedure. This feature also prevents the patient from swallowing any loose particles.
• Numerous small holes in the mouthpiece that continuously suction to remove water and saliva.
• A protective shield the patient can close on, eliminating the strain of trying to keep the mouth open on their own. This creates a more relaxed feeling.
• Additional light to help your dentist view the work area.

To learn more about the Isolite System give us a call or find us on Facebook!

- Dr. Anthony Markiewicz and team