Sport and oral hygiene: the unlikely pairing

Did you know that athletic performance, especially in running, is closely linked to our dental health? If you’re a runner, read this article carefully!

Several studies have shown that there is a close link between dental occlusion – that is, the way in which the upper and lower jaws align with one another – and sporting performance. What does this mean? When the upper and lower jaws are not perfectly aligned (and this often happens without us realising it), this misalignment affects our health, causing headaches, swallowing difficulties, postural problems and muscle tension. All these conditions risk having a negative impact on our sporting performance. Here’s how.

Poor posture of the neck and skull affects breathing and balance, and anyone who plays sport regularly knows how crucial these two aspects are to performance! Inefficient breathing leads to muscle fatigue, whilst imbalance puts both muscles and joints at risk. For this reason, many athletes choose to use dental devices to balance the upper and lower jaws, at least during sporting activity.

Many sports professionals – including footballer Cristiano Ronaldo and golfer Tiger Woods – have opted for a mouthguard, a resin splint capable of repositioning the lower jaw into its natural position, thereby preventing the onset of muscular compensations.

So what advice do we have for you? If you’re an athlete, we recommend a thorough check-up to ensure your bite is correct; if it isn’t, we’ll find the dental appliance best suited to your needs. In any case, many problems related to dental malocclusion can be corrected during childhood – if diagnosed in time. So take your children to the dentist as soon as possible! Prevention is better than cure.