Aussie, Aussie, Aussie! Brush, brush, brush!

Green and gold is a colour we all want to see on the podium during the XXII Olympic Winter Games in Sochi – just not on the teeth of our athletes.

The Chief Executive of Dental Health Services Victoria, Dr Deborah Cole, said, in the lead up to the Games, our athletes should make sure their oral health is a priority.

It comes after research was released showing that poor oral health affected more than half of all athletes at the London 2012 Olympic Games.

“The study found almost one-in-five athletes (18 per cent) reported that poor oral health had an impact on their training and performance,” said Dr Cole.

“Just over 46 per cent said they had not had an oral check-up in the 12 months before the Games, and almost 9 per cent had never been to the dentist at all.

“We don’t want our top-performers to miss out on a gold medal just because they didn’t brush their teeth regularly and get their teeth checked by an oral health professional.”

The researchers, led by Professor Ian Needleman of the University College London Eastman Dental Institute, looked at 278 athletes from 25 sports – mostly from Africa, the Americas and Europe.

Their study of the athletes also found: 

• 76 per cent had gingivitis; 
• 55 per cent had high levels of poor oral health including dental caries; 
• 45 per cent were experiencing dental erosion; and 
• More than 40 per cent were ’bothered’ by their oral health.

Read the full research paper, Oral health and impact on performance of athletes participating in the London 2012 Olympic Games: a cross-sectional study.

Dental Health Services Victoria is the state government’s leading oral health agency. The organisation aims to improve the oral health of all Victorians – particularly vulnerable groups and those most in need – by providing quality oral healthcare through The Royal Dental Hospital of Melbourne and 57 other community health agencies across Victoria.