Mo Farah may be the exception to the rule of athletes having bad teeth (Picture: PA)

Athletes may have some of the fittest bodies in the world but a new study has found they also have really bad teeth.

Tests were carried out on 302 participants at the London 2012 Olympics and found athletes had poorer dental health than people in other occupations of the same age.

Just over half of those examined had signs of cavities, three quarters were suffering from gum disease and 45 per cent showed evidence of tooth erosion.

‘Our data and other studies suggest that, for a similar age profile, the oral health of athletes is poor. It’s quite striking,’ said Professor Ian Needleman, who is lead researcher for the study published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine.




The University College London academic added athletes’ teeth problems may be the result of high sugar energy drinks.

This coupled with the lack of time given to dental care due to the pressures of training may have caused poor oral health, the professor argued.

Some athletes have even blamed their bad teeth for poor performances in the past.