Alex Rodriguez Says He Didn't Get Gum Disease from Chewing Tobacco: 'It Can Happen to Anybody' (Exclusive)
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"I think I tried it once and I threw up and I never tried it again," the former New York Yankee tells PEOPLE
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Chew on this!
Shortly after Alex Rodriguez shared that he was diagnosed with early-stage gum disease during an appearance on CBS News Wednesday morning, the retired Yankees player spoke with PEOPLE about his dental concerns and debunked some misconceptions about its cause.
Historically, professional baseball players have been largely associated with smokeless tobacco — specifically nicotine-filled wads like "dip" and "chew" that they'd stuff into their lips or cheeks to keep their mouths moist on the field.
So naturally, fans might assume Rodriguez's gum disease diagnosis was linked to baseball's toxic tradition. However, the All-Star player, 47, tells PEOPLE that wasn't the case for him. "I don't want the readers to think that this happens to you if you do tobacco... if you dip."
Related: Alex Rodriguez Reveals He Has Early-Stage Gum Disease: 'Looks Can Be Deceiving'
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He adds that gum disease (which impacts nearly 65 million Americans nationwide) "can happen to anybody."
In fact, Rodriguez — who's partnering with OraPharma to raise awareness on the topic — tells PEOPLE that he "didn't chew tobacco" and "didn't dip," despite what people might think. "I just didn't like chewing tobacco," he says. "I think I tried it once and I threw up and I never tried it again."
Rather, he turned to other "weird routines" instead. In addition to popping sunflower seeds, Rodriguez said he'd chew upwards of 36 pieces of gum a game.
"We play nine innings, right? I was trying to do four every half inning or two and two... And you would just chew," he explains. "It was a habit that once the inning was over, you kicked that one away and started new. "You do crazy things over 25 years. And this is one of these weird routines that I had."
And that was just one of Rodriguez's in-game traditions. "If there was ever a rain delay, I would make myself a peanut butter and jelly sandwich," the former Yankee admits to PEOPLE.
"So if it starts raining and you have an hour delay at Yankee Stadium, I would go in the clubhouse, make myself a peanut butter and jelly sandwich because those games would usually go to midnight or one o'clock in the morning, so a little PB&J would hit the spot," he says.
Rodriguez said he never felt pressured to turn to nicotine-filled substances like dip or chew on the diamond. "When I played, I don't think I ever felt one ounce of pressure on chewing gum, tobacco, dipping. All that stuff is just personal preference," he says.
"I think the League is doing a great job of definitely advocating to all players it is something they shouldn't do. We've had some incredible tragedies in our history," the athlete points out.
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Rodriguez also emphasized the importance of dental check-ins to increase the chances of detecting gum disease in its early stage, as it oftentimes goes unreported which can lead to an increased risk for other chronic conditions.
"The misconception that I had, and I have a feeling that others probably think the same thing, that if you have a nice smile and you feel like your teeth are clean and you brush and dental floss, that you're safe," Rodriguez. "None of that is true. It can happen to anybody."
He adds, "So I think just the faster you can get to the dentist and figure this thing out, the better."
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Read the original article on People.
