Delray Beach, Florida- February 12, 2018- With blustery winds, frigid temperatures and medals to win, the Olympians in Pyeong Chang are focused on winning! To help the athletes prepare for the big event, there are several doctors and trainers involved, but who would have thought of the dentist?
Delray Beach dentist and Fellow in the Academy for Sports Dentistry, Dr. Richard Staller is one of the Team Dentists for the US Olympic Team as well as Team Dentist for Florida Atlantic University Athletics. Staller owns Advanced Dentistry South Florida, a dental practice that has been in Delray Beach for more than 30 years and has been heavily involved in Sports Dentistry since the late 1990’s.
Staller, along with his colleagues at the Academy for Sports Dentistry noticed athletes at the highest level were at their peak athletically and physically, but often overlooked their dental care.
“With a rigorous training schedule and the cost associated with dentistry, many athletes simply neglected their dental needs until it becomes a much larger problem.”- Dr. Richard J. Staller
Various issues can arise from dental problems such as swelling and pain, loss of sleep, issues with concentration, and training. With many athletes consuming high sugar sports drinks, decay is also a problem. From a small cavity to wisdom teeth pain, many of the issues are preventable with the proper care.
Imagine working a lifetime to get to the Olympic Games all to stay awake at night with a toothache before a big competition.
Staller and his team at Advanced Dentistry South Florida not only provide care to help before there is a problem, but they are specially trained in sports related dental injuries. Being Team Dentist to the Florida Atlantic University Athletics Department, Dr. Staller and his team have seen various types of injuries and work to reduce dental injuries with the use of custom fabricated mouthguards.
“Our training allows us to help the athletes while still keeping them in their sport. Knowing how certain medications react and what is permitted in their sport is critical.”- Dr. Richard J. Staller
Some sports are more “high-risk” where there is a lot of collision involved such as hockey, snowboarding and skiing. A fall can turn into a tooth being knocked out, biting through a tongue or lip or even a broken jaw. Back in 2015, Tiger Woods lost a tooth from a camera that got a little too close. With the energy pumping and the crowds excited, one elbow from a cheering fan to the mouth can do some damage. Perhaps the fans should wear protection also.
While Staller stayed in sunny South Florida and is watching the games from home, a couple of his colleagues are in Pyeong Chang for the games. For more information, visit www.ad-sf.com
Company: Advanced Dentistry South Florida
Contact Information: Kelli Carter, kelli@ad-sf.com, www.ad-sf.com
