TOP SPORTS STARS ENCOURAGED TO BRUSH UP AHEAD OF RIO OLYMPICS
Who’s not been inspired by the Olympians? They certainly are endorsing the Olympic motto: “Citius, Altius, Fortius”, which is Latin for “Faster, Higher, Stronger.”
But, after the London 2012 Olympics, research published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine discovered that 55 percent of the athletes had tooth decay. And that over 75 percent
of athletes had gum disease. 15 per cent of which was advanced and therefore irreversible.
These figures are surprisingly high.
The cause was found to be their high carbohydrate consumption in the form of energy drinks,
bars and gels. Yes, they do help to maintain their energy levels, however, they are full of sugar
which reduces the mouth’s pH to below 5.5. In other words, our mouths become more acidic.
And it is at this level that the enamel on our teeth starts to dissolve.
Taking these energy supplements occasionally is okay because our saliva quickly dilutes them.
But their sustained use is the cause of tooth decay.
So, with the Rio Olympics well underway, sports men and women are now being reminded to
take extra care of their oral health. The advice, which also applies to all of us who exercise regularly, is:
Try to limit the amount of times you have anything sugary.
Ok, I admit that this isn’t going to be practical for our Olympians.
However, using a straw helps drinks go to the back of the mouth more quickly, limiting the amount of time the sugar will be in contact with teeth.
And, of course, drink lots of water.
DID IT HURT?
For the second consecutive month, out of the 162 surveys that we received, there were no
‘ouches’ in July. And that’s a positive. Still not good enough I admit and I promise that we will continue to aim for 100 per cent ‘pain free’.
And, in an effort to achieve that, we are discussing these results weekly within our team to see exactly how we can improve.
One intriguing question: why were there only 162 surveys for the whole month? One obvious answer is that perhaps not everyone had a chance to fill out a survey.
However I have also noticed that, with the exception of check-ups and seeing our hygienists, far fewer of you are in need of any treatment.
The credit here goes to you and our superstar hygienists: Jules, Lindsey and Alex.
Many thanks,
Jas Sandhu
Nikoletta brought her beautiful daughter, Evi, into the practice recently for a bit of ‘work experience’.
Recently, I received this email:
“Hello Jaspal,
You continue to thrill us with your giving — it’s just wonderful to see. And it’s so
inspiring.
Many congratulations for making it all happen. We are delighted not just to have
you here in B1G1 but to see you creating such a positive impact.
With much gratitude,
The B1G1 Team”
B1G1 is a non-profit organisation with a mission to create a world that’s full of giving. And with their support, our practice makes monthly donations to several charities around the world.
Our practice became a business member of B1G1 in 2011. In fact, we were the first dental practice in the UK to do so.
The graphic on the right shows exactly where our donations have gone.
To date, the total contributions our practice has made are 95,381.
So far, we have:
- Given 86,775 days of access to life-saving clean water to families in Ethiopia.
- Provided 1,001 days of access to personal hygiene to girls in need.
- Given 677 days of access to life-saving clean water to people in Africa.
- Given 520 nourishing meals to families in need.
- Provided 106 days of access to dental hygiene to people in need.
- Provided 93 square meters of rainforest protection.
- Given 14 days of medical support to children in need.
We could not have done this without your support. And, for that, we are so grateful.
Thank you.
Word of the month:
Thanks for reading.