FDI - FEDERATION DENTAIRE INTERNATIONALE 

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SADA is one of 200 National Dental Associations that are participating members of The FDI - Fédération Dentaire Internationale’ - the World Dental Federation.

 

The mission of The World Dental Federation, which has existed for 120 years, is to be “the global voice of the dental profession and to work with its members to improve the oral health of people worldwide.”

 

 

SPORTS DENTISTRY

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Around the world, more and more people participate in sports for both leisure and as a profession.

 

A recently distributed draft policy proposal from The FDI deals with some interesting and possibly unobserved oral health factors that may affect both amateur and professional sports participants.

 

Some dental problems, such as non-carious cervical lesions or caries, may arise from

• Overtraining

• An unfavorable diet in terms of oral health,

• Poor oral hygiene

• A parafunctional load

• Bruxism during strenuous activities

 

Sports supplements and energy-boosting foods or beverages ingested at the high frequency it can cause complications in the oral environment, including damage to dental hard tissues and to dental materials, due to their high content of free sugars and acidic ingredients.

 

Dentists need to be aware that some drugs that they prescribe may potentially be transformed in the body into substances prohibited by anti-doping authorities.

 

Participants in contact or combat sports must be advised to wear customized mouthguards when partaking in those activities.

 

Patients should be advised to wear customized mouthguards when participating in contact or combat sports and to wear safety helmets when engaging in cycling, motorcycling, and even aquatic sports like river rafting.

 

Swimmers have an additional risk of dental erosion due to acidic aqueous environments.

 

Dentists have a professional responsibility to provide advice on prevention to all athletes, including oral hygiene and preventive measures, benefits of well-balanced diets, regular oral health check-ups, good nutrition, appropriate hydration, the detriments of smoking, vaping, and sugar-containing supplements or sweets.