New Economist Enterprise report highlights the role of oral health in sport

A new reportcommissioned by the EFP and sponsored by Curasept explores the growing evidence linking oral health with athletic performance, highlighting the important role oral healthcare professionals have in supporting athletes at every level.

Winning margins: The impact of oral health on athlete performance, produced by Economist Enterprise, examines how oral health may influence sporting performance through a range of biological, nutritional and psychological mechanisms.

While athletic success depends on many factors (including training, nutrition, hydration, sleep, stress and genetics) the publication argues that oral health is an often-overlooked component that deserves greater attention.

“Oral health is a key factor, that is often overlooked, despite growing evidence that deficits can drive inflammation in the body,” says Professor Nicola West, EFP officer.  “Current evidence suggests that oral that and athletic success interact in many ways, and it should be taken into account.”

Fabian Marc Hürzeler, head coach of English Premier League football club Brighton & Hove Albion, interviewed for the report, highlights that too many athletes “continue to underestimate the importance of oral health in sport, especially compared to areas like nutrition, even though both can impact performance. There’s a clear imbalance in how we prioritize these factors.”

British Olympic athlete and medallist in artistic swimming, Kate Shortman, also interviewed for the paper, mentions that “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.”

The report reviews current evidence on how oral inflammation may contribute to systemic inflammation, how dental disease and pain can impair nutrition, quality of life and psychological wellbeing, and how oral conditions may influence neuromuscular function, strength and balance. It also highlights sport-specific risks, such as dental erosion associated with acidic environments in poorly maintained swimming pools.

The Economist Enterprise report presents strategies that athletes can use to improve their performance, and the starting point is raising awareness on the importance of oral health and its vital link to general health. The report shows how this motivates athletes, but also their coaches and teams, pointing out the benefits that good oral hygiene and dental follow-ups bring to performance.

“Awareness of the importance of oral health in sport is still very low. Teams and sports bodies need to prioritize 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,” said Professor Moritz Kebschull, EFP past president (2024-2025).

Sports dentists, says the publication, can help prevent, detect and treat tooth decay, erosive tooth wear, gum disease, malocclusion, temporomandibular disorders, and other injuries. They can also recommend the use of adequate mouthguards. 

“Sports federations play a vital role in athlete wellbeing 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 Elizabeth Sukkar, senior research manager at Economist Enterprise, who led the research.

“Dental erosion and other oral health pathologies represent increasing conditions in athletes and can affect their general health and sport performance.” explains Marta Giovannardi, Clinical Affairs and Quality Manager at Curasept. “The challenge for modern dentistry is to keep the attention high on such issues, raising patient awareness, fostering a culture of prevention and recognising the early signs, also through preliminary questions during medical anamnesis.”

The report encourages sports organizations, coaches and healthcare professionals to work together to improve awareness, prevention and access to oral healthcare. It also identifies a need for further research, including long-term studies and better tools to measure the impact of oral health on sporting performance.

“Harnessing good oral health to improve sports performance requires action at every level – from individual athletes to teams, organizations and society as a whole,” highlighted Professor Anton Sculean, EFP secretary general.

"The EFP is committed to advancing this agenda by providing scientific evidence, developing evidence-based recommendations, and raising awareness of the importance of oral health screening and prevention. While athletes may particularly benefit from optimal oral health, these principles are relevant to everyone, " concluded Professor Mia Rakić, EFP president.

Read the report