Prevention, early intervention, performance optimization, and post-accident treatment
This works better: a track for performance optimization. Copyright: Viola Pawlaczyk/MHH
Good news for athletes: The Hannover Medical School (MHH) now offers a clinic specifically for sports dentistry. This new service from the Clinical Department of Dental Prosthetics and Biomedical Materials is aimed at both professional athletes and people who play sports as a hobby.
Identifying factors that impair performance
“Sports dentistry is tailored to the specific dental needs of athletes. The goal is to ensure better overall athletic performance through optimized oral health,” explains Associate Professor (PD Dr.) Dr. Nadine Freifrau von Maltzahn. The dentist leads the new clinic together with her colleague Dr. Severin Bünemann. Diseases of the oral cavity and teeth—such as inflammation, misaligned teeth, or muscular imbalances—can affect the entire body. Many of these factors impair performance, but are sometimes not recognized at all or only detected late. This is where the services offered by PD Dr. Freifrau von Maltzahn and her team come in. The following examinations are conducted during the sports dentistry consultation: assessment of dental status, oral mucosa examination, periodontal screening, and functional assessment. If necessary, further imaging procedures are used.
Mouthguards for protection and improved performance
The specialists not only diagnose potential problems in the oral cavity but also implement the appropriate interventions in dentistry. These may include, for example, treatments for functional disorders of the temporomandibular joints or inflammation of the teeth or periodontal tissues. In the preventive realm, the focus is on creating customized sports mouthguards, which are fabricated according to the latest scientific findings and tailored to the individual’s risk profile. This sports mouthguard is particularly crucial for contact sports such as ice hockey, hockey, boxing, water polo, and handball. In addition, the team also manufactures performance-enhancing mouthguards. These mouthguards go beyond simply protecting the teeth. They relieve pressure on the temporomandibular joints and the masticatory muscles, release tension, and promote better sleep. “Among other things, this can have a positive effect on stress levels,” explains PD Dr. Freifrau von Maltzahn. “The release of stress hormones is reduced, which in turn leads to better performance.” Last but not least, athletes are in the right place at the clinic following sports injuries. The team works closely with other departments at MHH, where injuries in the oral cavity are treated according to the latest scientific findings.
Cooperation with the Lower Saxony Olympic Training Center
The Clinical Department of Dental Prosthetics and Biomedical Materials (headed by Prof. Dr. Meike Stiesch) works closely with the Lower Saxony Olympic Training Center (OSPN) and treats numerous Olympic and Paralympic athletes at its Sports Medicine Center. Through its scientific collaboration with the OSPN, the team at the sports dentistry clinic is constantly gaining new insights and can incorporate these specifically into the further development of therapies.
Appointments/Contact for the Sports Dentistry Clinic: Phone +49 511 532-4773, Sportzahnmedizin@mh-hannover.de, zahnaerztliche-prothetik@mh-hannover.de
Text: Tina Götting