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AFC Medical Committee approves landmark guidelines on dental care

AFC Medical Committee approves landmark guidelines on dental care

Kuala Lumpur: The AFC Medical Committee’s resolve to strengthen the professional care of Asian players was further underlined at its fifth meeting today with the approval of the breakthrough AFC Guidelines for Dental Health and On-field Management of Dental Emergencies.
The first comprehensive sports dentistry framework ever to be introduced in Asian football history, the living document, which will be regularly reviewed, updated and strengthened as new evidence emerges, is poised to set a new benchmark for player welfare by integrating oral health into mainstream football medical care.
Additionally, it provides detailed protocols for pre-competition dental assessments, injury prevention strategies and rapid-response procedures for orafacial trauma during training and matches.
 
Leading the meeting, AFC Medical Committee Chairperson, Dato’ Dr. Gurcharan Singh, who extended his congratulations to the AFC Sports Dentistry Advisory Group for producing the guidelines, said: “Oral health is fundamental to player performance, yet it has long been overlooked in competitive sport. With these guidelines, the AFC is ensuring that every player across Asia benefits from world-class standards of care and safety.”
 
The Committee also approved the implementation of the first ever Sudden Cardiac Death Registry for football in Asia in collaboration with the National Heart Institute (IJN) in Malaysia with the aim of strengthening the monitoring and prevention of sudden cardiac arrest associated with football. 
 
The Committee further endorsed the AFC Registered Testing Pool for competitions in the 2027 calendar and agreed to establish an Expert Advisory Group to review the guidelines for participation in extreme heat and poor air quality, ensuring that the Confederation’s safety regulations remain robust in the face of changing global environmental conditions.
 
Finally, the Committee reviewed all the sports science and medicine activities since its last meeting and was updated on the potential venue for the 9th AFC Medical Conference to be held next year, with further details to be communicated in due course.

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