REPOST: Olympic Athletes Bomb on Oral Hygiene

Olympians undergo a constant series of stringent physical exams to ensure their readiness for competition. An article on TIME suggests that the focus on their bodies may actually be leaving their teeth neglected.

Japan's Fumiyuki Beppu leads the breakaway during the Men's Road Race Road Cycling on day 1 of the London 2012 Olympic Games on July 28, 2012 in London, England. | Image source: TIME

Olympic athletes are at the top of their game when it comes to their physique, but not so much for oral hygiene. New research from the British Journal of Sports Medicine reveals that elite athletes tend to have more cavities, tooth erosion and gum disease than others of a similar age.

Surveying athletes who attended the dental clinic at the 2012 Olympic Games in London for free check-ups and mouth guards, researchers at the University College London (UCL) found a fifth of visitors said that oral health affected training and performance and more than 40 percent were “bothered” by their oral health. Of the 302 athletes surveyed (with data available for 278) from Africa, the Americas and Europe, more than half of respondents had cavities, including 45 percent with dental erosion and 76 percent showed signs of gingivitis.

Though the data is confined to only those visiting the Olympic Village clinic, the researchers assert that the findings are consistent with previous studies. Olympic athlete’s high intensity performance includes consuming large amounts of carbohydrates as well as sugary drinks. Ian Needleman, a professor at UCL who spearheaded the study, said that extreme training places stress on the immune system leaving athletes at high risk of oral disease, the BBC reports. The study also notes that half of the athletes examined had not had a dental examination the year before.

Previous research found that inflammation elsewhere in the body can affect the likelihood of injury as well as recovery time. Researchers have even linked a higher risk of heart attacks among people who do not brush their teeth twice a day (which results in inflamed gums).

As an experienced dental surgeon, Dr. Domenick Coletti would recognize the signs of gum and tooth decay early on and educate patients on better oral hygiene. Click 'Like' on this Facebook page for more updates about dental care.

Why visiting the dentist matters

It has been said time and again that regular dental check-up is a must for everyone. However, a report recently published in the Journal of Dental Research revealed that nearly 4 billion people—or almost half of the world’s population have oral health conditions that can lead to other issues, like the inability to eat properly or sleep at night. And individuals who suffer from untreated conditions such as tooth decay or cavities in permanent teeth make up 35 percent of the global population. Of all the 291 major ailments identified in the report titled Global Burden of Oral Conditions in 1990-2010: A Systematic Analysis, cavities were the most common.

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In the U.S., the latest statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) show that about 16 percent of children from ages 6 to 19 suffer from untreated dental caries. As for the percentage of adults (ages 20 to 64) with untreated dental caries, CDC estimates it around 24 percent.

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Visiting the dentist twice a year for cleaning and general check-up is not only a good oral health practice, but it can be a lifesaver, too, as studies have shown that there are several diseases and health conditions that can be influenced by the cleanliness of the mouth. Thus, it is important for people to visit their dentist on a regular basis as a salute to good health.

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Domenick Coletti DDS, MD, is a partner at Central Maryland Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery. Subscribe to this Twitter account for select news about oral health.