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UCL Sports Dentistry promotes oral health in sport to enhance the performance and overall health and wellbeing of athletes. We achieve this through research, knowledge transfer and clinical care.
Contributors to 2024 IOC conference
UCL Sports Dentistry was well represented at the 2024 IOC World Conference on the Prevention of Injury and Illness in Sport. We contributed five research presentations and an invited workshop giving practical guidance on managing oral health for optimal athlete wellbeing and performance.
Centre for Oral Health and Performance
We are the leading research group worldwide for oral health in sport and performance. We have gained this recognition through high-quality studies in both clinical and laboratory research and research synthesis (systematic reviews). We are committed to stakeholder involvement and increasing co-production wherever possible to strengthen the relevance and impact of our studies.
We collaborate with key stakeholders starting with athletes and including clinicians, scientists federations and industry. We collaborate with a wide range of clinical and academic disciplines, connecting with athletes, sport and exercise medicine / science professionals, sport organisations, sport funders, policy makers and industry.
Follow us on X @oralhealthsport
Our research
- Behaviour changes to enhance athlete oral health
Following on from our investigations into oral health behaviours reported by elite athletes, we completed a feasibility study with 60 Olympic and professional athletes, aimed at enhancing oral health behaviours. Read the paper in the BMJ.
- Oral health behaviours reported by Olympic and professional athletes
We investigated athlete-reported oral health behaviours, risks to oral health and potential for behaviour change. Elite and professional athletes reported more favourable oral health behaviours but still had similar levels of oral disease to the general population. Those with poor oral health reported negative impacts on wellbeing, quality of life, training, and performance.
Athletes said they would consider simple behaviour changes, including a reduction in the use of sports drinks, attendance for regular screening and enhanced oral hygiene. We used these findings to help inform the design of an intervention to improve/maintain oral health and reduce performance impacts.
- Oral health and performance impacts in elite and professional athletes
In 2016, we completed the largest epidemiological study of the oral health of elite athletes ever undertaken, meeting over 350 athletes and their support staff. We carried out dental exams and interviews with men and women from GB Cycling, GB Swimming, GB Rowing, GB Sailing, GB Gymnastics, GB Hockey, GB Athletics and GB Rugby Sevens; England Rugby, Reading FC and Team Sky.
We found high levels of oral disease amongst elite athletes across a wide range of sports. Nearly half 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.
- Oral health of professional footballers
We completed a large study in Premier League and Championship football in 2014, recruiting eight clubs and 200 senior squad players. This was the most comprehensive study of oral health in professional football.
- Oral health at a multi-sport competition: London 2012
Our London 2012 study is one of the largest evaluations of oral health at a multi-sport competition. A major innovation was the investigation of self-reported impact of oral health on training and performance. Key findings:
- high levels of oral and dental disease (45% athletes with dental caries, 55% dental erosion, 15% irreversible chronic gum disease)
- a self-reported impact of oral health on performance in 1 in 5 athletes.
This is one of the most cited publications in the history of the British Journal of Sports Medicine.
- Oral health of elite athletes: a systematic review
We provided the first state of the science summary of what was known about oral health in elite and professional sport. Key findings:
- Poor oral health is consistent across studies, particularly dental caries, and erosion.
- The strength of evidence is limited by the few representative samples, limited validity of methods and low volume of data
Athlete care
Athlete care includes oral health screening, prevention of trauma and protection of oral health, along with provision of emergency care.
We have worked with many Olympic and professional teams to deliver oral screening and reports on need for care. We provide an efficient and caring service, typically at the team training centre.
We are currently working on a resource to allow dental and medical professionals to find dentists who provide emergency trauma care. We also provide oral health training to teams as needed.
What should every athlete have in their washbag?
- Toothbrush - manual or electric
- Toothpaste - we advise high fluoride toothpaste on prescription from your dentist or doctor
- Fluoride mouthrinse - use at a different time to brushing
- Dental floss - if you can’t manage regular floss, try pre-threaded flosses
We have been distributing kits to athletes taking part in our research.
Our experts
Dr John Haughey
Selected publications
Our papers have created substantial impact within academic and media groups.
- Fine PD, Leung A, Louca C, eds. (2018). Sports Dentistry: Principles and Practice. Wiley-Blackwell.
- Gallagher J, Ashley P, Needleman I (2020). Implementation of a behavioural change intervention to enhance oral health behaviours in elite athletes: a feasibility study. BMJ Open Sport & Exercise Medicine, 2020;6:e000759.
- Gallagher J, Ashley P, Petrie A, et al (2019). Oral health-related behaviours reported by elite and professional athletes. Br Dent J, 227, 276–280.
- Gallagher J, Ashley P, Petrie A, Needleman I (2018). Oral health and performance impacts in elite and professional athletes. Community Dentistry and Oral Epidemiology, 46.6, 563-568.
- Gallagher J, Needleman I, Ashley P, et al (2017). Self-Reported Outcome Measures of the Impact of Injury and Illness on Athlete Performance: A Systematic Review. Sports Med 47, 1335-1348.
- Needleman I, Ashley P, Meehan L, et al (2016). Poor oral health including active caries in 187 UK professional male football players: clinical dental examination performed by dentists. Br J Sports Med, 2016;50:41-44.
- Needleman I, Ashley P, Petrie A, Porter S (2013). Oral health and impact on performance of athletes participating in the London 2012 Olympic Games: a cross-sectional study. Br J Sports Med, 2013 Nov;47(16):1054-8.
Needleman I, Ashley P, Fairbrother T, Fine P, Gallagher J, et al (2018). Nutrition and oral health in sport: time for action. Br J Sports Med. 2018 Dec;52(23):1483-1484.
Merle C, Richter L, Challakh N, Haak R, Schmalz G, Needleman I, et al (2022). Orofacial conditions and oral health behavior of young athletes: A comparison of amateur and competitive sports. Scandanavian Journal of Medicine in Sports Sciences. 2022 May;32(5): 903-912.
Merle CL, Richter L, Challakh N, Haak R, Schmalz G, Needleman I, et al (2022). Associations of Blood and Performance Parameters with Signs of Periodontal Inflammation in Young Elite Athletes-An Explorative Study. J Clin Med. 2022 Aug 31;11(17): 5161.
- Merle CL, Richter L, Challakh N, Haak R, Schmalz G, Needleman I, et al (2022). Associations of Blood and Performance Parameters with Signs of Periodontal Inflammation in Young Elite Athletes-An Explorative Study. J Clin Med. 2022 Aug 31;11(17): 5161.
- Ashley P, Di Iorio A, Cole E, Tanday A, Needleman I (2015). Oral health of elite athletes and association with performance: a systematic review. Br J Sports Med. 2015 Jan;49(1): 14-9.
- Needleman I, Ashley P, Fine P, et al (2014). Consensus statement: Oral health and elite sport performance. Br Dent J. 2014 Nov;217(10): 587-90.
- Needleman I, Ashley P, Weiler R, McNally S (2016). Oral health screening should be routine in professional football: a call to action for sports and exercise medicine (SEM) clinicians. Br J Sports Med. 2016 Nov;50(21):1295-1296.
- Fine P, Haughey J (2024). Is there a link between the increased consumption of sports drinks and dental decay? (PDF) SciBase Dent Oral Sci. 2024; 2(1): 1010.
- Ahmed I, Fine P (2021). 'Injury prevention versus performance': has the time come to mandate the use of mouthguards in all contact sports? BMJ Open Sport Exerc Med. 2021 Jan 13;7(1):e000828.
- Haughey JP, Fine P (2020). Effects of the lower jaw position on athletic performance of elite athletes. BMJ Open Sport Exerc Med. 2020 Dec 2;6(1):e000886.
- Ahmed I, Kipps C, Fine P (2021). Investigating the effect of mouth guard use on aerobic performance in amateur boxers. Clin Exp Dent Res. 2021 Oct;7(5):888-893.
- French R, St George G, Needleman I & Griffin S (2017). 'Chapter 22: Face, eyes and teeth.' In Brukner & Khan's Clinical Sports Medicine, 5th edition. Volume 1. Injuries. McGraw Hill Education, 2017.
Funding and Partnerships
We were formerly part of the International Olympic Committee UK Research Centre 2014-2022 for Prevention of Injury and Protection of Athlete Health. and Faculty of the IOC Conference on Prevention of Injury and Illness in Athletes since 2014.
In the media
Athletics and hormone decline can lead to conditions that set the stage for dental disease. In 2022, Dr Julie Gallagher joined the Hit Play Not Pause podcast.
In the Soundbite newsletter issue 20, Dr Julie Gallagher explains how a simple change of toothpaste could improve the performance of elite athletes.
For Cycling Weekly, nutritionist Anita Bean asks Prof. Ian Needleman whether cyclists should cut down their sugar intake and look elsewhere for energy.
Prof. Ian Needleman was interviewed on the Let's Get Running Podcast to raise awareness about oral health and performance in recreational athletes.
Contact
Professor Ian Needleman
i.needleman@ucl.ac.uk
UCL Eastman Dental Institute
Bloomsbury Campus
Rockefeller Building
21 University Street
London
WC1E 6DE