Dental problems for athletes
Tuesday October 14th, 2014
Elite athletes suffer from poor dental health - partly related to their consumption of high energy, sugar rich substances and acidic drinks, experts warn today.
In the London
Olympics two years ago as many as one third of medical consultations by
athletes involved teeth.
And nearly one in five athletes said dental problems affected their performance.
A study by University College, London, UK, found that nearly half had not even visited a dentist in the previous year.
Today sports medicine specialists called for a new drive to get athletes and their trainers to pay attention to dental health.
They set out their proposals in the British Journal of Sports Medicine.
Experts say that high-carb diets and acidic drinks may play a part. But this is aggravated by many athletes suffering from dry mouths and lack of saliva.
One of the experts, Professor Ian Needleman, of University College, said: "Oral health could be an easy win for athletes, as the oral conditions that can affect performance are all easily preventable.
"Professional athletes and their teams spend a lot of time and money on ways to marginally improving performance, as this can make all the difference in elite sports. Simple strategies to prevent oral health problems can offer marginal performance gains that require little to no additional time or money.
"Things like better tooth brushing techniques and higher fluoride toothpastes could prevent the toothache and associated sleeping and training difficulties that can make the crucial difference between gold and silver."
Oral health and elite sport performance: Consensus Statement British Journal of Sports Medicine 14 October 2014; doi 10.1136/bjsports-2014-093804 [abstract]
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