Dr. SOEURN Visal
DARIYA KUO
” MANY RUNENRS LOOK AT THEIR WATCH WHEN RUNNING.
ME, I LOVE LOOKING AT RUNNERS’ TEETH. “
Indeed, running can be a really tough sport for your oral health, said Daiya Kuo, a 3rd Year Dentistry student from the University of Puthisastra.
The story began in 2017 when I volunteered to help organize the Sihanoukville International 1/2 Marathon. It was the very first time for me to get
experience with this kind of event. I was just very keen on looking at runners’ teeth every single time they passed by to grab water, Coke, Pepsi, nuts or chocolate. Many runners are mouth-breathers, a habit that can leave them a bit dried out. The gels, chews, and sugary drinks that fuel their run also feed bacteria that occur naturally in the mouth. Sticky chews and dense protein bars can damage crowns and fillings. Those faster runners often clench their jaws or grind their teeth during races. I was thinking of becoming a runner as well and see how I’d feel with my dental health. While most people say
running keeps you strong physically and mentally, nobody talks about dental care! One year later, I ran my first 5km race at the 5th Bokor Marathon Charity Run on Bokor Hill in Kampot. A great feeling indeed.
The story began in 2017 when I volunteered to help organize the Sihanoukville International 1/2 Marathon. It was the very first time for me to get experience with this kind of event. I was just very keen on looking at runners’ teeth every single time they passed by to grab water, Coke, Pepsi, nuts or chocolate. Many runners are mouth-breathers, a habit that can leave them a bit dried out. The gels, chews, and sugary drinks that fuel their run also feed bacteria that occur naturally in the mouth. Sticky chews and dense protein bars can damage crowns and fillings. Those faster runners often clench their jaws or grind their teeth during races. I was thinking of becoming a runner as well and see how I’d feel with my dental health. While most people say running keeps you strong physically and mentally, nobody talks about dental care! One year later, I ran my first 5km race at the 5th Bokor Marathon Charity Run on Bokor Hill in Kampot. A great feeling indeed.At that time I realized that running was fun and I would like to extend my knowledge in dental care for runners by doing extra research in related topics. In 2019, my university created a running club! I was so happy to join the club, getting to know other students and lecturers from different faculties. I have to mention my amazing English teachers Leah Wood and Jake Pedersen who always ran with us every Sunday at 5pm at the Olympic Stadium during my early days of running. The first day of running was very hard for me and after 100 meters I wanted to give up. But, both teachers told me that it would get better day by day. With their encouragement, I managed to run non-stop, first for 5km and then 10km. Soon I got used to running and I always felt excited to join races. I experienced that it’d always help me to relax and reduce the stress after school.
Half a year later after the club was established I happened to meet a lecturer from the Pharmacy faculty, Eng Muyngim, who organized the 5k/10k time-trials at the Sokha Hotel loop in Phnom Penh. There were around 200 students from UP joining that race. Surprisingly, I learned that she is also a national athlete, a pharmacist with a Masters Degree in Sports Science. Quite cool! She inspired me and my friends more than she had believed. One of her stories that came to my mind all the time was when she went to Malaysia last April, initially to join the 10th Asian Medical Education Association Symposium along with other lecturers including Jake and my Dean of Dentistry, Dr. Callum. It happened that 3 hours prior to the start of the symposium, Muyngim began her 6km race organized by Sunway University. She missed the first part of the symposium, but arrived straight at the conference hall in her business dress with a huge gift basket she won from the race. Gosh, it was a funny story yet so inspiring! With my friends Sreypoun, Muyseang and Vira, we are now leading the UP Running Club and spreading the running culture and telling all the great stories at our university!
