EVALUATION OF THE ORAL HEALTH CONDITIONS OF VOLLEYBALL ATHLETES

ABSTRACT Introduction Dental care can improve athletes’ performance, promoting oral health and preventing changes that could disrupt their sports routine. Objective To evaluate the dental conditions, habits, and oral health care of volleyball athletes, and their knowledge of the importance of oral health in sports performance. Methods Sixty-four male athletes participated in the study: 40 from the basic categories (16 ± 3 years) and 24 professionals (25 ± 5 years). For the assessment of oral conditions, changes in the temporomandibular joint, history of facial and dental trauma, and the presence of malocclusions and orthodontic treatment were verified. Hygiene was measured by the visible plaque index. To determine the athletes’ oral hygiene, they were asked how many times per day they brushed their teeth, flossed their teeth, or used oral mouthwash. Finally, we evaluated the athletes’ opinions concerning the importance of oral health and sports performance. Data analysis was performed using the Mann-Whitney and Fisher’s Exact tests, with a significance level of 5%. Results For most of the parameters evaluated, similar results were found between professional and baseline athletes (p> 0.05). However, for the parameters “flossing” (p = 0.0027) and “facial/dental trauma” (p = 0.0444), significant differences were observed (p <0.05) between the categories of athletes. Conclusion We conclude that professional athletes are more prone to facial/dental trauma, and that the presence of a dental surgeon to assist the team improves athletes’ overall oral health. Level of evidence II; Retrospective study.摘要 引言：牙科护理可改善运动员运动表现，促进口腔健康，同时预防可能干扰其运动日常的口腔病变。 研究目的：评估排球运动员的口腔状况、口腔卫生习惯与口腔保健行为，以及其对口腔健康与运动表现相关性重要性的认知水平。 研究方法：本研究共纳入64名男性排球运动员，其中基础组别40名（年龄16±3岁），职业组别24名（年龄25±5岁）。口腔状况评估指标包括：颞下颌关节（temporomandibular joint）病变情况、颜面与牙齿外伤史、错颌畸形（malocclusions）及正畸治疗（orthodontic treatment）的存在状态。口腔卫生水平通过可视菌斑指数（visible plaque index）进行量化评估。为了解运动员的日常口腔卫生习惯，调研了其每日刷牙、使用牙线及使用漱口水的频次。最后，评估了运动员对口腔健康与运动表现相关性重要性的主观看法。数据分析采用曼-惠特尼检验（Mann-Whitney）与费希尔精确检验（Fisher’s Exact tests），显著性水准设定为5%（p<0.05）。 研究结果：在多数评估参数中，职业组与基础组运动员的检测结果无显著统计学差异（p>0.05）。但在使用牙线与颜面/牙齿外伤这两项参数上，两组运动员间存在显著统计学差异（p值分别为0.0027与0.0444）。 研究结论：本研究表明，职业排球运动员更易发生颜面与牙齿外伤，且为运动队配备牙科医师协助可提升运动员整体口腔健康水平。本研究证据等级为II级，属于回顾性研究。