fitness

Possible Link Between Cycling and Dental Health

Diane Harper

Doesn’t that sound all science-y and official? Fellow blogger Catherine Womack would be horrified, since my data set is just me, with nothing but anecdotal evidence.

I recently went to the dentist, who commented that I have a lot more plaque than usual. She said that a possible cause is mouth breathing (whether from allergies, snoring or something else), since that creates a perfect environment for plaque bacteria to grow. What had changed since my last cleaning six months ago?

I have mild allergies. And I sometimes snore. Both those things have been true since I started seeing my dentist 30 years ago. Those can be eliminated as probable causes.

What has changed is the amount of time I spend on my bicycle, and the joy I get from riding. I have been a 3 season bike commuter for 20 years, but those rides were generally 5 km or less. I never rode for fun and rarely to do errands.

This year I have ridden my bike everywhere. My goal has been to use my car no more than once a week. I also ride just for fun, with various groups. Safer cycling infrastructure has turned my rides from harrowing to pleasurable.

I ride with a huge grin pasted to my face, just like one of my favourite Twitter cyclists, Miss Omar (@AuntieKay28). She has written about the joy, happiness and freedom she gets from cycling, and how it puts a big smile on her face.

Woman in a long black robe and bike helmet, holding up her black bicycle. She is near a cliff with water below, under a cloudless blue sky.
Miss Omar with her Brompton and a huge smile. Photo taken from a September 22 post on Twitter.

Since the plaque diagnosis, I have been trying to ride with my mouth closed, reserving big grins for pedestrians and other cyclists. But it’s hard because I’m smiling so much on the inside that it wants to break through to my face.

Diane Harper lives in Ottawa.

Published by Diane Harper

Diane Harper is a public servant who lives and swims (and bikes) in Ottawa. In her hobby life, she is Siglinde Harfnerstochter, a 6th C Merovingian housewife from the city of Metz. Her primary interests are cooking, textile arts and bonecarving. Siglinde lives in the canton of Caldrithig, Barony of Skraeling Althing, Kingdom of Ealdormere.

2 thoughts on “Possible Link Between Cycling and Dental Health”

  2. It took me a couple of days to get here – sorry – but my thought when reading the scientific evidence was that at least people like us no longer need to worry about our teeth when riding. We can continue to breathe through our mouths and smile a lot! I never did like those gels.

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