Speakers:
Elif GÜNDÜZ BAYER
- Sports Dentist – Orthodontic Specialist
- Founding Member of the Sports Dentistry Association
- 2019–2020 Bahçeşehir College Basketball Team – Team Dentist
- 2013–2017 Boğaziçi Sultans American Football Team – Team Dentist
Mustafa Fatih ÇETİNTAŞ
- Physiotherapist – Chiropractic Specialist
- 2013–2025 Sports Physiotherapist and Chiropractic Specialist for the Turkish Men’s National Basketball Team
- Founder of RESET Therapy
Sports Dentistry and the Role of the Team Dentist in Professional Sports Teams
Dr. Elif: Mustafa Fatih Çetintaş. My dear Mustafa, we first met while you were actively working with the Turkish Men’s National Basketball Team. Thanks to Sinan Güler, who brought us together. At that time, I was working with some of the era’s superstar athletes in my private practice, providing custom mouthguards and conducting dental screenings.
You worked actively with the national team for 12 years. During which years was that?
Mustafa Fatih Çetintaş: I worked actively with the Turkish Men’s National Basketball Team between 2012 and 2024. Let us also send our greetings to Sinan, who was the one who introduced us.
Dr. Elif: Yes, and you are still part of the team today.
Mustafa Fatih Çetintaş: Yes, I continue to support the health team as an external member.
Dr. Elif: Our national teams, especially in basketball, have made us all proud. I have been involved in sports dentistry internationally for nearly 15 years. Together with you, Sinan, and our colleagues in Türkiye, we have pioneered important initiatives to support athlete health.
Based on your experience, I would like to ask you a few questions. First of all, what does a professional athlete expect from a team dentist?
Mustafa Fatih Çetintaş: First of all, thank you for your kind words. In fact, I learned about the importance of sports dentistry from dear Elif. After we met, I began to better understand the value of this field, and we started discussing it together.
An athlete wants to see the sports dentist as an integral part of the healthcare team, just like any other healthcare professional. Communication and trust are extremely important. For athletes, trust is always the top priority.
Secondly, preventive care is essential. Athletes expect protective solutions against impacts, dental fractures, and similar injuries that may occur during physical contact and competition.
Additionally, athletes expect not only from the dentist but from the entire medical team that any intervention will allow them to return to play as quickly as possible.
Dr. Elif: We provide custom sports mouthguards, and in some sports they are already mandatory. In the United States, many professional teams have dedicated sports dentists. They travel with the teams and are able to provide immediate treatment when dental injuries occur on the field.
I believe the importance of this lies in exactly what you mentioned: being able to treat the athlete quickly and return them to the game without keeping them sidelined for an extended period.
What about the medical team? What do physiotherapists, physicians, massage therapists, psychologists, and dietitians expect from a sports dentist? As a physiotherapist, what would you expect from one?
Mustafa Fatih Çetintaş: We would like to see the sports dentist as a natural member of the healthcare team, just like all the other professionals. Just as athletes build trust with their physicians, physiotherapists, and dietitians, they also want to know and communicate with their dentist beforehand.
This not only facilitates treatment procedures but also accelerates the decision-making process. As healthcare professionals, we know our athletes closely. We understand their personalities, psychological approaches, and individual needs. This information can contribute significantly to the dentist’s treatment planning.
Furthermore, it improves the athlete’s compliance with treatment and speeds up the return-to-play process. As a result, the athlete can rejoin the team smoothly and efficiently.
Dr. Elif: From what I understand, trust is the key factor. The athlete must trust the dentist, the medical team must trust the dentist, and the common goal is to help the athlete return to competition as quickly and safely as possible.
Mustafa Fatih Çetintaş: Absolutely. In Türkiye, physicians, physiotherapists, massage therapists, and dietitians have become established members of many sports teams. However, sports psychologists and sports dentists have not yet found their place within teams to the same extent.
I hope this interview contributes to raising awareness and accelerating this process. Being part of the team directly influences both the speed and quality of intervention.
For example, we occasionally attend ten-day training camps abroad with the national team. In such situations, finding a qualified dentist in the area can be extremely difficult. Having a sports dentist travel with the team would be a tremendous advantage, not only for emergency care but also for providing athletes with a sense of confidence and security.
Dr. Elif: That is absolutely true. Planned dental treatments should probably be carried out during the off-season, right? How much free time do athletes generally have throughout the year?
Mustafa Fatih Çetintaş: For national team athletes, this period can be somewhat shorter, but in general, athletes have an off-season period of approximately three to six weeks.
Dr. Elif: When does that usually take place?
Mustafa Fatih Çetintaş: It generally depends on when the league season ends, but it is usually during June and July. Of course, some athletes finish their seasons earlier, while those who participate in the playoffs often finish later.
Dr. Elif: In that case, this would be the ideal period to carry out comprehensive dental screenings, wisdom tooth extractions, fillings, and any other necessary treatments. That way, athletes can begin the new season with optimal oral health.
It also seems logical to integrate dental examinations into the routine physical health screenings that athletes already undergo.
Mustafa Fatih Çetintaş: Absolutely. Throughout my career, I have worked with many professional athletes, but the vast majority came on their own initiative. Very few came as part of an organized team healthcare program. This highlights a significant gap. Dental examinations should definitely be included as part of routine health screenings.
Dr. Elif: Finally, I would like to ask a different question. As dentists, we spend most of our day working in a forward-leaning position, and our posture is often affected quite seriously. Could you recommend a few quick exercises that we can perform between patients?
Mustafa Fatih Çetintaş: Of course.
First, gently tilt your neck to the right and left. Once you reach the end of your comfortable range of motion, you can apply light assistance with your hand. Then slowly rotate your neck to both sides.
The goal is to open up the neck and shoulder region, which tends to remain in a forward position throughout the day.
Next, clasp your hands behind your back, pull your shoulders backward, and gently squeeze your shoulder blades together. This exercise is very effective for opening the chest area.
A similar stretch can also be performed using a doorway to help stretch the chest muscles.
For individuals who spend long hours standing, stretching the hip flexors is also important. Lean forward in a controlled manner and hold the stretch for approximately 5–10 seconds.
Finally, cross one leg over the other and rotate your torso toward the same side to improve spinal mobility. The key is to keep the spine upright and rotate only as far as comfortable, holding the position for a few seconds without causing pain.
Dr. Elif: Thank you very much.
Mustafa Fatih Çetintaş: My pleasure. Thank you for having me. See you again.