Assessment of the oral hygiene level in cheerleader athletes 

Anna V. Teplova, Candidate of medical sciences, senior lecturer of the sub-department of dentistry, Penza State University (40 Krasnaya street, Penza, Russia), E-mail: stomannavaleryevna@mail.ru 

Background. Nowadays, oral hygiene is positioned as an important part of the overall health of the entire human body. If the oral cavity is in poor condition, it affects the well-being, functioning and quality of life in general. There are various reasons for the high risk of poor oral health among athletes. The purpose of the study is to assess the level of oral hygiene in cheerleaders using a validated Russian–language questionnaire ONIR-14. Materials and methods. To assess the quality of life of a dental patient, a validated Russianlanguage questionnaire ONIR-14 was used, which consists of 14 questions about the presence or absence of any consequences for dental problems. Results. Taking into account the results obtained, in the first group, “good” quality of life was established in 17 (68 %) cheerleaders out of 25; “satisfactory” - in 5 (20 %) people out of 25; “unsatisfactory” - in 3 (12 %) people out of 25. The “poor” quality of life has not been determined. In group 2, “good quality of life” was established in 18 (72 %) people out of 25; “satisfactory quality of life” was established in 4 (16 %) people out of 25; “unsatisfactory quality of life” was established in 2 (8 %) people out of 25; “poor quality of life” was established in 1 (4 %) a person out of 25. Conclusions. Comparing the obtained data of each group with different professional experience, a stable increase in the answers “often”, “very often”, “constantly” was revealed in parallel with the increase in the professional experience of cheerleaders. 

hygiene, oral cavity, athletes-cheerleaders, ONIR-14 

Teplova A.V. Assessment of the oral hygiene level in cheerleader athletes. Izvestiya vysshikh uchebnykh zavedeniy. Povolzhskiy region. Meditsinskie nauki = University proceedings. Volga region. Medical sciences. 2023;(4):14–19. (In Russ.). doi:10.21685/2072-3032-2023-4-2