www.mddus.com


wanted to do something with it, so we designed a very simple oral health intervention.”


Creating change Her thesis based on this research has been submitted to examiners, with the final defence in February 2020. Though this project is complete, she is now pushing for change to improve athletes’ dental health. She has just submitted a fourth paper for


publication to the British Journal of Sports and Exercise Medicine and


“Almost a third of athletes said that oral health had a negative impact on their training and performance”


hopes “something useful” can be done with the research data. She says: “The main intervention is to


promote the use of prescription fluoride toothpaste because that is a very simple way of mitigating dental caries and something athletes are very willing and able to make. “We would be advising dentists to work


with athletes to prescribe high-strength fluoride toothpaste – and I would expect this to happen quite soon once we publish. “There is a willingness amongst


athletes and their support teams to recognise the importance of oral health and we need to build on that. We are also trying to promote regular oral health screening for athletes so we can raise awareness.” Julie’s UCL team has made


three short films (see link below) promoting oral health with Team GB Olympic rower, Zak Lee-Green, who is also a dentist.


He emphasises the importance of good oral hygiene and recalls recent cases of fellow athletes who were forced to withdraw from world championships


due to “easily preventable” dental problems. He says: “As elite athletes we are pushing ourselves to


the limit almost every day. We need to pay attention to problems such as gingivitis and periodontitis which have been shown to affect our general health.” He recommends athletes brush twice daily, use fluoride toothpaste and mouthwash, use interdental brushes and “always spit never rinse”. In a separate but related study, another PhD


student at the Centre for Oral Health and Performance (COHP) is looking into dental erosion and the role of pellicle (the protein layer on the enamel surface) in athletes. Although now retired from the NHS, Julie


wants to maintain an interest in research and is continuing to campaign for change. She is also keen to encourage other dentists to get involved in sports dentistry to build up a network of clinicians with an understanding of the demands athletes face. For dentists who wish to explore this as an


option, she advises: “Approach your local sports team, refer them to the research and tell them we know we can boost performance by improving oral health. “You certainly won’t do any harm. Athletes’ health and wellbeing is so important, so if they want their athletes to perform at their best, they can’t ignore their oral health.” • Find out more about the work of UCL’s COHP at: tinyurl.com/yx4p7wmr


Kristin Ballantyne is a freelance writer based in Glasgow


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