Aim:
In this
cross-sectional study, we evaluated the
oral hygiene habits,
oral health conditions, and the
perception about the influence of
oral health conditions on the
physical performance of
youth and professional
volleyball and
soccer athletes.
Methods:
A total of 96
male athletes participated 48
volleyball players (25
youth and 23 professional players); and 48
soccer players, of whom 22 were
youth, and 26 were professional players. We analyzed the
oral hygiene and
oral health condition (daily toothbrush, flossing, mouthwash,
dental plaque, orthodontic
treatment, dental/facial
trauma, temporomandibular dysfunction,
malocclusion, and the
athletes'
perception about the influence of
oral health conditions on the
physical performance (yes or no)). Comparisons were made between the
youth and
professional athletes for each
sport (
volleyball and
soccer). According to each variable, we applied the Chi-square, Fisher's Exact, and Mann-Whitney tests.
Results:
For
soccer athletes, we found significant differences between
youth and professionals for flossing (p=0.014), orthodontic
treatment (p=0.028), dental/facial
trauma (p=0.041), and the
athletes'
perception about
oral health and
physical performance (p<0.001). Considering the category (
youth and professional) regardless of the type of
sport, we found significant differences for
dental plaque (p=0.024) and dental/facial
trauma (p=0.005). According to the
sport (
volleyball and
soccer), independent of the category, we found significant differences for daily brushing, dental/facial
trauma (p=0.005), and the
athletes'
perception about
oral health and
physical performance (p=0.006).
Conclusion:
We concluded that the surveyed
athletes had good
oral health and believed that
oral health can influence
sports performance