Abstract

Sports dentistry is a specialized branch of dentistry that focuses on the prevention, diagnosis, and management of diseases and injuries affecting the stomatognathic system within the context of sports and physical activity. Recent research indicates that elite athletes experience a high prevalence of dental caries, erosion, trauma, and periodontal disease. These oral health issues may impact both overall health and athletic performance. Therefore, sports dentistry is increasingly recognized as an essential component of sports medicine. Safeguarding athletes' oral health, addressing injuries and pathologies, and enhancing performance necessitate a multidisciplinary approach. A member of this multidisciplinary team is the sports dentist. Effective coordination between sports physicians and sports dentists facilitate comprehensive care of the stomatognathic system. This narrative review aims to raise awareness of sports dentistry by exploring its scope and examining its impact on athlete health and performance in light of current literature.

Cite as: Hamamcılar O, Günaydın H, Kocahan T. The role of sports dentistry in athlete health and performance: a narrative review. Turk J Sports Med. 2026; https://doi.org/10.47447/tjsm.0990

Concept: OH, TK; design: OH, TK; supervision: OH; materials: OH, TK; literature review: OH, TK HG; writing manuscript: OH, TK, HG; critical reviews: OH, TK. All authors contributed to the final version of the manuscript and discussed the results and contributed to the final manuscript.

The authors declared no conflicts of interest with respect to authorship and/or publication of the article.

The authors received no financial support for the research and/or publication of this article.