State of oral health and the impact of regular physical activity on selected salivary parameters in young athletes in relation to the sport-specific environment.

Background: Poor oral health is correlated with participation in various sports and has a significant impact on athletes' quality of life (QoL).

Objectives: The aim of the present study was to evaluate oral health and selected salivary parameters in young athletes in relation to the environment of the performed sport.

Material and methods: Sixty adolescents aged 12-15 years (mean age: 13.0 ±0.5 years), including 30 competitive swimmers and 30 competitive basketball players, participated in the study. The following indices were calculated: the number of teeth affected by caries - decayed, missing and filled teeth (DMFT); and the simplified oral hygiene index (OHI-S). Saliva samples were collected from all subjects before and after the training. The saliva flow rate (V), pH, buffer capacity, and calcium (Ca) level, as well as salivary alpha-amylase (sAA) and salivary peroxidase (sPO) concentrations, were measured. In addition, the athletes rated the intensity of the training session using Foster's rating of perceived exertion (RPE) 0-10 scale.

Results: The mean DMFT score was 4.53 ±3.54 in the swimmers and 3.43 ±2.45 in the basketball players. The mean OHI-S score in the swimmers was 0.73 ±0.58, which was significantly higher than in the case of the basketball players (0.34 ±0.37). Some fluctuations in the salivary parameters were noticed in the swimmers vs. the basketball players, which was related to the type of training. When comparing the swimmers with the basketball players after the training, a significantly lower Ca level was observed in the latter group. However, when comparing post-training changes in the salivary parameters with regard to the pre-training values, significant decreases in V and increases in pH were observed in both groups. After the training, significant increases in the Ca level and the sAA concentration were found in the swimmers. The average RPE score was 4.96 ±2.16 in the swimmers vs. 5.13 ±2.02 in the basketball players. Most swimmers perceived the training as 'somewhat hard' or 'hard', and so did the basketball players.

Conclusions: While the data showed no significant differences in DMFT between the groups, the basketball players presented significantly better oral hygiene in comparison with the swimmers. The data suggests that the salivary V and pH, and the levels of Ca and sAA are associated with the swimming training session, whereas V and pH are also associated with the basketball training session. The regression model showed that the sAA concentration could be a predictor of OHl-S, and that the salivary V, pH, buffer capacity, and Ca level could be predictors of the effort rating among swimmers. Also, pH could be a predictor of DMFT in basketball players.