A new report titled Winning Margins: The Impact of Oral Health on Athlete Performance suggests that poor dental hygiene may be a significant, yet frequently overlooked, barrier to peak athletic achievement. Produced by Economist Enterprise and commissioned by the European Federation of Periodontology (EFP), the report indicates that dental conditions—ranging from gum disease to tooth erosion—can trigger systemic inflammation, negatively affecting an athlete’s physical recovery, neuromuscular function, and overall psychological wellbeing.
While athletes and coaches meticulously track nutrition, sleep, and training loads, the oral cavity is rarely integrated into this comprehensive health strategy. The evidence presented in this report suggests that failing to prioritize dental care may create “winning margins” of difference that elite competitors cannot afford to lose.
The Biological Link Between Oral Inflammation and Performance
The connection between the mouth and the body is not merely localized to the gums and teeth. According to Professor Nicola West, an officer with the EFP, scientific evidence increasingly points to the fact that oral inflammation can contribute to systemic inflammation throughout the entire body.
Beyond systemic inflammation, the report highlights that oral pain and dental disease can disrupt an athlete’s nutritional intake. Furthermore, researchers identified that oral health conditions may influence neuromuscular function, strength, and balance, which are critical components for any high-level competitor.
Insights from the Field: Why Coaches and Athletes Are Concerned
The report includes perspectives from high-level sports professionals who argue that the current culture in elite sports often neglects dental health. Fabian Marc Hürzeler, head coach of the English Premier League club Brighton & Hove Albion, noted that many athletes continue to underestimate the importance of oral health compared with other areas of sports science, such as nutrition, even though both are essential to maintaining a high level of performance.
This sentiment is echoed by British Olympic artistic swimmer and medalist Kate Shortman. According to Shortman, oral health is not consistently treated as a priority in elite sports, despite its clear implications for both athletic output and general quality of life. The report notes that for athletes involved in swimming, there is an additional, specific risk: dental erosion caused by the acidic conditions frequently found in poorly maintained swimming pools.
Integrating Sports Dentistry into Routine Care
Professor Moritz Kebschull, a past president of the EFP, advocates for a shift in how sports organizations view dental care. By proactively detecting and treating conditions such as tooth decay, malocclusion, temporomandibular disorders, and sports-related dental injuries, professionals can help athletes prevent long-term damage and avoid performance-limiting pain.
Elizabeth Sukkar, the lead researcher for the report and a senior research manager at Economist Enterprise, emphasizes that sports federations hold the power to change this trajectory. By integrating oral health screenings into routine care and implementing better education programs, federations can create environments that support better recovery and performance. Marta Giovannardi, Clinical Affairs and Quality Manager at Curasept, adds that as dental erosion becomes increasingly common among athletes, early detection by dental professionals is vital to mitigating these risks before they affect an athlete’s career.
Looking Ahead: A Call for Collaborative Action
Improving the standard of care for athletes requires a coordinated effort between sports organizations, coaches, healthcare providers, and dental experts. The report identifies that while the current awareness of oral health in sports remains low, the path forward involves long-term studies and the development of more effective tools to measure how specific dental conditions directly correlate with performance metrics.
Professor Anton Sculean, secretary general of the EFP, stated that enhancing athletic performance through improved oral health is a collective responsibility that requires action from teams, organizations, and society at large. Meanwhile, EFP President Professor Mia Rakić affirmed the organization’s commitment to advancing evidence-based recommendations for oral health screening. While these findings are particularly relevant to elite athletes, the underlying principles of oral hygiene and systemic health are applicable to the general population as well.
As research continues to evolve, sports federations are encouraged to review their current athlete support policies to ensure that oral health is no longer a blind spot in performance management. The EFP and its partners emphasize that the first step toward better outcomes is education—ensuring that those at the highest level of sport understand that a healthy mouth is a foundational component of a healthy, high-performing body.
Have you considered how your oral hygiene routine impacts your overall physical wellbeing? Join the conversation in the comments below or share this article with your training partners and coaches to help raise awareness.