Most of us think that athletes, especially those who compete at the olympic level, as being the ideal of health. Imagine the surprise when Professor Ian Needleman, of the University College London Eastman Dental Institute, conducted a study and found differently. His findings have been published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine.
A total of 302 athletes from London's 2012 athletes' village took part in the study, which consisted of an examination and personal assessment. These athletes were asked about how their oral condition impacted their quality of life, training and finally, performance. The athletes, mostly from Africa, the Americas and Europe, represented 25 sports, with the largest percentage representing track and field competitors.
These researchers found that more than half of all the athletes had dental decay and 3/4 had gingivitis. And the athletes admitted to having pain that affected their ability to do their best in competition. "If we are going to help them optimize their level of performance, we need to concentrate on oral health promotion and disease prevention strategies to facilitate the health and wellbeing of all our elite athletes," Needleman said.
We agree.
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