BRUSSELS, Belgium: As football nations vie for glory in the 2026 FIFA World Cup, good oral health may be the wild card driving winning performance. A timely new report commissioned by the European Federation of Periodontology (EFP) examines the impact of oral health status on athletic performance. According to EFP officer Prof. Nicola West, athletes’ ability to train, recover and compete depends on a complex mix of physical, psychological, environmental and lifestyle factors, and oral health is often overlooked.
The report draws on existing evidence as well as interviews with athletes, coaches and experts in sports dentistry. It examines how oral inflammation can contribute to systemic inflammation, how oral health can influence nutrition, and how dental pain can harm physical and psychological well-being. It also considers the implications of oral health issues for strength and balance, along with orofacial injuries and sport-specific risks to oral health.
It identifies a range of oral health issues, including caries, erosive tooth wear, periodontal disease, malocclusion, temporomandibular disorder and sports-related oral injuries, as key concerns for athletes. The report groups the possible performance consequences into three broad areas: recovery from exercise and fatigue, training and competition readiness, and physical strength, endurance and balance.
The report highlights a 2016 survey of 187 professional male footballers in the UK, which found that the presence of caries and oral pain correlated with lower perceived performance on the field and diminished quality of life. Fabian Marc Hürzeler, head coach of English Premier League football club Brighton & Hove Albion and one of those interviewed for the report, said that too many athletes “continue to under-estimate the importance of oral health in sport, especially compared to areas like nutrition, even though both can impact performance”.
The cost of this low awareness is often seen only once problems have already affected training, according to Dr Markus Hürzeler, a periodontist interviewed for the report. He emphasised that athletes often seek dental care too late, after preventable oral health problems have already cost them training days and, in some cases, a season.
European Federation of Periodontology President Prof. Mia Rakić. (Image: European Federation of Periodontology)
Kate Shortman, a British Olympic athlete and medallist in artistic swimming who was also interviewed for the report, commented: “One thing that needs to change is awareness—oral health isn’t always seen as a priority in elite sport, even though it can have an important impact on performance and overall health.” Awareness of the importance of oral health in sport remains low, according to Prof. Moritz Kebschull, EFP past president. He commented in an EFP press release: “Teams and sports bodies need to prioritise it and include sports dentistry just as they have included sports medicine as part of the team. Evidence shows that oral health presents an opportunity to prevent injuries and improve outcomes.”
Harnessing oral health in the sporting arena
Besides recommending that oral health screenings, preventive measures and sports dentistry expertise be integrated into athlete care, the report calls for stronger longitudinal and mechanistic research. It also includes oral self-care strategies for athletes and identifies sporting federations as important partners in supporting athletes’ oral health.
“Sports federations play a vital role in athlete well-being because they influence both policy and the support systems around training and competition. By embedding oral health into routine care, education and prevention programmes, they can help athletes perform at their best and recover more effectively,” said lead researcher on the report Elizabeth Sukkar, who is senior research manager at Economist Enterprise, which produced the report.
According to the EFP, harnessing oral health to support sporting performance requires action at every level, from individual athletes to teams, organisations and wider society. EFP President Prof. Mia Rakić said that the organisation is committed to advancing scientific research on oral health and sporting performance, developing evidence-based recommendations, and raising awareness of the importance of oral health screening and prevention.
The report, titled Winning Margins: The Impact of Oral Health on Athlete Performance, was published by Economist Enterprise with support from Curasept.
