Elite athletes have poor oral health despite brushing their teeth more frequently than most people, finds a new UCL study.
Researchers from University College London (UCL) surveyed hundreds of elite and professional athletes for their research. Their research revealed that despite practising good oral hygiene, professional athletes have a “substantial” amount of tooth problems.
Sports drinks, energy bars and gels are frequently used by athletes during training and competition; these are known to damage teeth due to their high sugar levels. The sugar in these products increases the risk of tooth decay and the acidity of them increases the risk of erosion; and these are often marketed without any guidance on oral health.
The findings, were published in the ‘British Dental Journal’.
The athletes who were interviewed said they may consider more frequent dental visits, and reducing their intake of sports drinks to tackle this problem.
Previous findings have suggested elite athletes may have a higher risk of oral disease because of having a dry mouth during intensive training.
Source: telegraph.co.uk
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