Olympians at the Dentist? LEARN MORE ABOUT THE OLYMPIC DENTAL PROGRAM
After a year delay due to the pandemic, the Summer Olympic games will start this month in Tokyo. Watching world-class athletes perform seemingly impossible feats of strength and speed can leave us thinking they’re superhuman. But when it comes to teeth, even the world’s best athletes are just like us. Did you know ... … the second most-visited medical professionals at the Olympic Games are dentists? That’s right. While some teams travel with their own doctors or physical therapists, the Olympics also has a number of highly trained medical professionals on staff for the duration of the games to attend to the needs of the Olympians. That includes a dental program. It’s probably no surprise that athletes visit Olympic staff physical therapists most often, but many are surprised to learn that dental professionals see the second highest number of Olympians during the games. Athletes in the Dental Chair Some athletes visit the dental clinic at the Olympics to address mouth injuries from contact sports. In fact, in recent years, mouthguards have become an increasingly important piece of technology athletes are encouraged to wear to prevent traumatic injuries to their teeth, mouth, and face. But the dental services go well beyond acute injuries.
During the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, dentists saw 800 urgent care cases, screened several hundred athletes, and performed over 100 root canals. The stress, fatigue, and travel that precede the start of the games for athletes can exacerbate underlying dental issues, which causes some athletes to arrive with infections that need to be addressed. Dentists also address more everyday issues like cavities and gum disease. The Root of the Problem The amazing thing about the Olympics is that it brings athletes from all over the world together to compete. That means that dentists see some disparities when their patients get in the dental chair. Though Americans have different levels of access to dental care, we are lucky to live in a country where there are skilled dental professionals and great care is widely available. That’s not the case in every country in the world. Though these athletes can perform superhuman feats, they may lack access to basic dental care. This is all a good reminder not to take for granted what we have in the U.S. and to continue to work toward ensuring equal access to health care — oral and physical — for people throughout the world.
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