The high standards of performance required of athletes can only be achieved by an individual totally healthy. The time, effort and money invested in realization of this maximum level of fitness should not be jeopardized by preventable oral health problems, which occur before or during competition.
Success and performance is predominant in sports. Athletes being goal oriented are dedication to training, eating well, staying hydrated and meeting nutritional goals; for which Sports Physicians, Physiotherapists for physical health and Dietician for nutritional edge are consulted. But oral health is often overlooked. Oral health may not directly affect your day-to-day performance, but consequences of poor oral health can catch up with you in sports.
A very interesting study was performed at the 2012 Olympic Games in London, where it was found that dental disease affects athletic performance. 302 athletes from 25 different sports were examined and interviewed during their time in the Olympic Village. The results demonstrated extremely high levels of poor oral health, including dental decay in 55% of the athletes, and gingivitis in 76% of the athletes. More than 40% of those athletes reported being bothered by their oral health, and 18% were conscious of their oral health having a negative impact on their training and performance.
The oral health problem affects not only professional athletes, but was found to be worst among amateur athletes, as shown in a study that evaluated nearly 400 records of football players, with 353 amateurs and 47 professionals. The results showed that amateur athletes are more alarming: 283 caries lesions - 71%, root canal 109 - 27% 33 abscesses - 9% extractions and 78 - 22% when compared to professional athletes: 32 cases of cavities - 68%, root canal 11 - 23%, no cases of abscess - 0% and 24 extractions - 51%14.
To provide the best performance, it is important that the dentist active in SD conducts a detailed assessment of oral health status of the athlete to detect changes and pathologies (such as dental malocclusion). The dentist must identify individual risks, because an athlete with alterations in the occlusion can be significantly compromising the performance since it interferes with the efficacy of chewing, and subsequent digestion of food, thus impairing nutrient absorption. The loss of muscle balance, headache, temporomandibular joint problems, discomfort and stress can also be an imbalance occlusal.
Dental professionals have been concerned for some time about increasing rates of dental problems amongst people of all ages active in sports. Recent reviews of dental health in elite athletes showed that they are at higher risk of dental caries and erosion.