March Madness in Westchester
March 17th marked the beginning of March Madness in the NCAA Schools. Click here for the NCAA March Madness links and schedules. It is also March Madness at Purchase Street Family Dental in Rye, Westchester, NY. Call our Rye Dental Office today at 914-921-5437 or schedule an appointment online to make sure your teeth and smile are game ready!
Now is the time of year to start your own sports back up – especially basketball. It is important to remember that this is the perfect time to get yourself or your kids custom mouth guards fitted for those spring and summer months sporting events. Your teeth and smile need protection from potential sports injuries, even in basketball. Protect your health and your protect your teeth this spring during March Madness.
Along with spring sports comes sports drinks. As your local dental office, we must remind 
you to just say no to common sports drinks. Some of them offer lower sugar content drinks, but most of their ingredients still involve corn syrup or sugar right there on the label. Don’t be fooled by drinks saying that they have vitamins. You can normally get the vitamins and at a much higher dose than sports drinks, just by taking a multi-vitamin. Sports drinks are marketed to young people too, which is not good. Try to substitute with drinks that are sugar free or just plain water is the best way to rehydrate. Coconut water is also a great way to replenish and it has a nice taste to it.
Don’t be fooled by the protein shakes that are being sold either. The best way to start your day of sports is not by drinking a protein shake that is as bad for you as soda is. They are mostly sugar and won’t help your performance at all. Eat light, balanced carb and protein, and low sugar meals through the spring and summer to help you stay on top of your game. Take a multi-vitamin for your optimal nutritional needs. Breakfast companies are losing business in the high sugar cereals and replacing that product with shakes that they advertise as healthy. They are not healthy and full of things that will just slow your body down instead of helping your perform.
Dry mouth is another concern during the sports seasons and especially the spring and summer months. Try products recommended by your dentist to keep your mouth lubricated and prevent tooth decay while you are pushing your body to the limits. Stay hydrated and avoid things like soda and hard candy. These don’t really help to moisten your mouth back up. There are some mouth rinses and preventative care if you are prone to developing dry mouth, but just making sure to stay hydrated and drinking plenty of water can prevent it.
Family fun during March Madness can be maximized by some fun games to go along with all the basketball playing. Make a list of your top 15 schools and keep pins on the map of where they are. Keep track of those games on the map and keep track of who is heading for the championships. This can get the whole family excited and while that excitement is in the air, get everybody outside for a family game of basketball!
Call our Westchester dental office today at 914-921-5437 to request a March Madness spring cleaning for your teeth or click here to request an appointment online.