While swimming may be a year-round event for some people, for others, it’s something we only do in the summer, and it can be fun whether you have a swimming pool in your backyard or are visiting a water park. Swimming is a great way to stay fit, but did you know that swimming in a swimming pool can affect your dental health, and it’s all down to chlorine?
Chlorine increases the acidity of water to kill bacteria, so it is safe to swim in, but a more acidic environment can negatively impact your teeth. Possible side effects include acid erosion, increased calculus or tartar deposits, and teeth staining.
Acid Erosion
When teeth are exposed to a more acidic environment, the acids weaken tooth enamel during demineralization. After acidity levels in the mouth start to reduce, remineralization occurs to a certain extent, but repeated exposure to acids eventually weakens enamel and can cause cavities.
The teeth most commonly affected are the upper and lower front teeth. Regular swimmers may notice their teeth are more likely to erode on the inner and outer surfaces of these teeth. People who only swim occasionally, for example, during the summer, may notice these changes are more likely to occur on the inner surfaces of their front teeth.
Calculus Buildup
The acidic pool water can also increase the buildup of calculus over teeth, a problem called swimmers’ calculus in Newcastle. Teeth most often affected by swimmers’ calculus are the inner and outer surfaces of the front teeth. Calculus buildup cannot be removed by brushing your teeth but is removed during your regular dental hygiene appointments at West Bowmanville Family Dental.
Teeth Staining
Teeth staining can occur, causing black or brown stains on the inner and outer surfaces of the front teeth. These stains are due to organic materials being deposited on teeth as the salivary proteins break down due to the difference between the pH level of the pool water and saliva. These stains can be difficult to remove by brushing your teeth and look similar to those caused by long-term use of chlorhexidine mouthwash in Bowmanville.
How to Protect Your Teeth While Swimming in a Pool
Dental erosion, swimmers’ calculus and teeth staining are more likely to affect people who swim regularly year-round, especially those who swim for more than six hours each week. Even if you only swim in a chlorinated pool during the summer, it’s a good idea to take some precautions to protect your teeth from exposure to chlorine. Ideally, the easiest way to do this is to keep your mouth closed, but it’s often not that simple. Many people end up with a mouthful of chlorinated water at some point. If you go underwater, try to keep your mouth fully closed before you become submerged, and if you have kids that like to swim, make sure they know to keep their mouth shut while swimming to help protect their dental health in Courtice.
After swimming, immediately rinse your mouth with water you get out, as this will help eliminate any chlorinated water remaining and helps to normalize pH levels in your mouth more quickly. It’s also a good idea to try and drink more water after swimming because chlorine can reduce saliva production, causing dry mouth and further negatively impacting dental health in Clarington. After about 30 minutes, you can brush your teeth using a soft-bristled toothbrush and fluoride toothpaste as the fluoride will help to remineralize teeth. When we see you for regular dental checkups, we can assess your teeth for signs of acid erosion. Sometimes topical applications of professional strength fluoride can help to re-harden tooth enamel.
