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Intensive swimming: can it affect your patients' smiles?
1American Dental Association Health Foundation's Paffenbarger Research Center, National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, Md 20899, USA.
Journal of the American Dental Association (1939)
|October 1, 1995
Summary
Intensive swimmers may develop tooth stains from pool water. This condition, known as swimmer's calculus, results from prolonged teeth exposure to chlorinated water and oral fluid mixing.
Area of Science:
- Sports Medicine
- Dental Science
Background:
- Intensive swimming, defined as over six hours weekly, presents unique physiological challenges for athletes.
- Dental health in athletes is crucial for overall performance and well-being.
Observation:
- Unusual yellowish-brown or dark brown tooth stains have been observed in competitive swimmers.
- These extrinsic stains appear to be associated with the aquatic environment of swimming pools.
Findings:
- The authors hypothesize that prolonged direct contact between teeth and swimming pool water contributes to stain formation.
- The interaction of oral fluids with chlorinated pool water is proposed as a mechanism for the development of these dental deposits.
- Two case studies document the occurrence of these specific tooth discolorations in swimmers.
Implications:
- Understanding the etiology of swimmer's calculus can inform preventative dental strategies for athletes.
- This research highlights the potential impact of environmental factors, like pool water chemistry, on oral health.
- Further investigation into the chemical interactions causing these stains may lead to targeted interventions.