Could Poor Dental Health be Holding Top Footballers Back?

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A new study has suggested that dental health problems may be preventing top footballers from performing to the best of their ability on the pitch. Researchers claim that almost 40 percent of top professionals have cavities and 5 percent have severe gum disease, which could be affecting their performance.

The study, which has recently been published in the online version of the British Journal of Sports Medicine, also claimed that infections and toothache are common.

The authors of the study involved 187 players from clubs including Manchester United, Hull City, Brighton and Hove Albion, West Ham United, Cardiff, Southampton, Swansea City and Sheffield United. A group of dentists performed dental checks on the players and recorded their findings. The players were also asked about what kind of impact their dental health has on their professional performance and their personal life.

The researchers found that footballers tend to have worse standards of oral health than the general public. More than 20 percent had suffered dental trauma or injury and 4 in 10 had signs of dental decay.

Experts claim that poor standards of dental health may be contributing to problems on the pitch and have called for clubs and football authorities to do more to promote good dental health and encourage players to look after their teeth and gums and keep up to date with dental checks.

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