Oral Health and Oral Health-Related Quality of Life in Professional Soccer Players in Southern Italy: A Cross-Sectional Study

Objectives: To evaluate the oral health of professional footballers and to investigate possible determinants of oral health as well as the self-reported impacts on well-being, quality of life (QoL), and performance. Methods: This cross-sectional study was carried out on professional soccer players of the Calabria region, Italy. The outcome measures were the following: DM FT (decayed, missing and filled permanent teeth), DMFS (decayed, missing and filled per Results: One hundred and sixty footballers were recruited from seven clubs. The median age of the players was 25 years (19-39) years. The mean DMFT was 2.8 +/- 2.9, and the multiple logistic regression analyses showed a positive association with frequent intake of drinks rich in sugar (OR = 3.69, 95% CI = 1.59-8.56) and sports drinks (OR = 3.73, 95% CI = 1.09-12.75). Dental erosions were present in 48.1% of footballers and periodontal diseases in 50%, with a positive association with frequent intake of energy drinks (OR = 2.86, 95% CI = 1.09-7.51). The OH IP-14 showed that 30.6% of participants reported having had pain in their teeth/mouth/dentures occasionally. Conclusions: Results from the present study showed that the oral health of professional soccer players in Southern Italy was poor, especially regarding caries, erosion, and periodontal diseases. Moreover, OHIP-14 showed an impact on oral health in soccer players' QoL, revealing that poor oral health negatively affected professional well-being and performance. Results suggest the need for prevention interventions for professional athletes.