From pitchside to practice: lessons from sports dentistry 

We hear from sports dentist Umair Mohammed, one of only a handful of clinicians worldwide to hold an MSc in sports dentistry, on why oral health belongs at the heart of athletic performance. 

Umair reflects on carving out a niche many once dismissed, combining his background in sport with his clinical career to help shape a growing movement in UK dentistry. 

He shares what it really means to be a sports dentist – from working pitchside with elite teams to educating athletes and medical staff on the impact of oral health, sleep, nutrition and prevention. 

A turning point came when he realised that if the profession was to take sports dentistry seriously, someone had to champion it – helping to establish the UK Sports Dentistry Association and building an international network of like-minded clinicians.

You can now watch on Youtube and listen on Spotify. 

Topics include: 

• What sports dentistry actually involves – beyond mouthguards and trauma 
• The link between oral health and performance, recovery and systemic health 
• Why brushing, prevention and education still matter at elite level 
• Working as part of a multidisciplinary medical team 
• Building a niche career path – and the power of saying yes.

Listen to other episodes below: 

• Lessons from the business guru behind Kinky Boots 
• Dental professionals – here’s why you are capable of more than you think
• Why I wouldn’t change my disability: lessons in resilience from a Paralympian
• What dentistry can learn about community from BBC radio presenter Nadia Ali
• Dentists – disrupt or be disrupted: business lessons from a former airline managing director.

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