Sports Dentistry In Birmingham

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St. John’s Dental Practice provides quality sports dentistry & sports guards for customers in Birmingham.

Oral Health and Elite Sports

There is now a growing body of evidence that while elite sports people spend huge efforts achieving peak physical condition for their chosen sports they have much higher rates of oral health problems which is now thought to adversely affect performance.

The centre for Oral health and Performance based at UCL has provided world leading research that reveals high levels of oral disease amongst elite athletes across a wide range of sports. Nearly half (49.1%) of the athletes had untreated tooth decay and 77% had inflamed gums, an early indicator of gum disease. Many reported that these conditions had impacted negatively on their performance as well as their ability to eat, relax, sleep and smile. For example, a study of competitors at the London 2012 Olympics found that there was high levels of oral and dental disease (45% of athletes had dental caries, 55% dental erosion, 15% irreversible chronic gum disease) and a self-reported impact of oral health on performance was in 1 in 5 athletes (20%). Additionally, competitors in many sports are also exposed to increased risk of trauma during the course of play.

It has been suggested that oral problems associated with elite sports may be due to the following:

Intensive training leaving less time for dental maintenance in the erroneous belief that it is not a priority
High carbohydrate intakes and frequent intake diets
Chronic pain, and raised systemic inflammatory burden
Physiological changes such as decreased salivary flow and drying of the mouth during exercise
Exercise-induced immune suppression

Elite athletes are not by definition the same as the majority of sports participants but the findings may be a useful warning to the many dedicated amateurs who follow their lead.

All of the risks can mitigated by dental input and is well summarised in the infographic below . There are also links to the UCL site.

Sports mouth-guards to protect from trauma
Regular Dental Hygiene at home and Professional care
Training Diet advice
Prompt treatment and prevention to prevent dental abcesses

What is Sports Guard?

Sports guard is a heat-cured acrylic based appliance that serves to protect your teeth during contact sports.

How do I get them?

We recommend a custom-made sports guard so that it will fit snug on the teeth. This is usually best when you visit the dentist to have an impression taken to construct the custom-made sports guard.

Can I have any colours on the sports guard?

Yes. You can choose a single-coloured or multi-coloured sports guard. You just need to inform the dentist your favourites!

Get in touch with us to find out more.

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A Comprehensive Range of Treatments

At St John’s we are a dedicated team who provide a comprehensive range of treatment, which include aesthetics, implants, emergency service and the provision of lifelong care that caters for your needs.