Did you know that proper maintenance is necessary to protect your teeth while enjoying the pool? It is not common knowledge that not protecting your teeth from the chlorine can cause damage to your tooth enamel, but it is true. The good news is that there are things that you can do to keep those pearly whites shining bright all summer long.
SWIMMING POOLS AND YOUR TEETH
Summer just would not be the same without a daily dip in your backyard pool or a weekly visit to the local community swimming pool. All that swimming though can cause an array of problems.
Swimming pools are responsible for tampering with the color of your hair, drying out your skin and also eroding your tooth enamel. Tooth enamel damages from swimming pools is most common in pools that are not properly maintained.
One way to protect your smile against the harmful effects of improperly maintained swimming pools is to buy a pack of pH test strips. You should always test the waters before taking the plunge, being sure to avoid those whose pH is not between 7.2 and 7.8.
In addition to corroding your tooth enamel, pools can be dangerous for the simple fact that you can become injured if you do not follow pool rules. It is a common occurrence to get a fractured tooth from diving into “no diving” zones.
That being said, in order to prevent a broken tooth (or worse) you should make it a point to always follow the posted pool rules and never dive into an area where diving is prohibited.
Running around the pool where the pavement could be slippery can also lead to a tooth injury. Not only that, but believe it or not it is rather common for the front teeth to be knocked loose from coming to the surface near a ledge, after being under water, too quickly.
Please contact us if you have any questions about your pools effect on your oral health.