Brazilian paralympic athletes: an evaluation of oral health status

Abstract

Objective: To estimate the oral health status and investigate lifestyle habits that may reveal risk factors for dental caries of Brazilian competitive athletes and thus identify which oral health problems may impact their performance, enabling the implementation of public policies focused on this population. Material and Methods: This study collected data to describe the oral health status of Brazilian Paralympics Athletes participating in a government funded program named “Sports Dentistry for High Performed Athletes” performed at the Institute of Health Research – INPES in Sao Paulo, Brazil. A total of 96 high performed paralympic athletes were screened by 4 trained and calibrated dentists. Oral hygiene, reports of oral pain, TMJ examination, malocclusion index and sociodemographic information were recorded. Results: The age of the athletes ranged from 18 to 56 years, with a mean age of 34 years. The majority of the athletes were swimmers (55.2%). 27.1% had gum bleeding, and 31.0% reported tooth sensitivity. 47.9 % had class I (Angle) and most athletes (71.9%) didn´t show clinical signs of temporomandibular disorders. The mean of decayed, missing and filled index (DMFT) was 10.5, varying 0 to 28. Conclusions: clinical examinations indicate a population that significantly needs preventive and restorative oral health procedures. We hope that our data will be useful and assist the responsible authorities in creating curative and preventive public policies for the analyzed population