Football, football, football!

You cannot escape the passion and excitement shown by those supporting the football currently, and as I write this we are doing reasonably well so I am informed by those that have some understanding of it.

There are some however that are more sceptical of those professionals playing the game. Players are often regarded as excessively high earners who receive celebrity status and become role models for many despite not always behaving in a manner worthy of the adoration of fans both young and old.

There are also many who would regard these professional footballers as talented sportsmen, who are in the best of physical health, demonstrating fitness and endurance.

Let’s look a little further at their dental health. Recent research examined 187 footballers dental health. 37% of players examined had tooth decay, 80% had gingivitis and 5% had severs irreversible periodontal disease.

Thankfully as a result of this research dental screening is now to become mandatory for professional players. It has also been decided that more awareness is required to educate how poor oral health can impact overall health and sports performance.

Are these professional footballers any different to so many others? So many still do not connect dental health to their general health. Those professionals may look fit and healthy but the impact of what is going on in their mouths is will longer term have an impact. Conditions such as diabetes, osteoporosis and heart disease are all connected to oral health. Any infection in the mouth makes the body susceptible to other disorders, and can be so easily addressed with good oral hygiene and regular dental visits.

So we need the message to come from the sportsmen and women. If they can promote the importance of maintain a healthy mouth it may filter down to those that see them as heros, and benefit the next generation of rising stars