The Medical Committee of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has endorsed leading guidelines on dental health and the management of dental emergencies on the field during its fifth meeting, held yesterday. These guidelines mark the first comprehensive framework for sports dentistry in the history of Asian football. They have been prepared as a flexible document that will be periodically updated and reviewed in line with modern scientific data, contributing to a new standard for player well-being and safety by integrating oral and dental health into the system of medical care in football. The guidelines include detailed protocols for conducting pre-competition dental examinations, injury prevention strategies, as well as rapid response procedures for dealing with face and mouth injuries during training and matches. Dr. Dato Jurarjan Singh, Chairman of the AFC Medical Committee, who chaired the meeting, emphasized that oral health is a fundamental element in players' performance, despite being overlooked for a long time in competitive sports. He praised the efforts of the AFC's Sports Dentistry Advisory Group for developing these guidelines, stating that this step will ensure all players in Asia receive the highest standards of care and safety. Additionally, the committee approved the launch of the first registry of sudden cardiac death cases related to football in Asia, in collaboration with the National Heart Institute of Malaysia, aimed at enhancing the monitoring and reduction of sudden cardiac arrest cases. The committee also endorsed the list of registered examinations for AFC competitions in 2027 and agreed to form an expert advisory group to review guidelines for participation in high-temperature or poor air quality environments, ensuring compliance with safety regulations amid global environmental changes. The committee also reviewed the activities of sports medicine and sports sciences since its last meeting and was briefed on the potential host for the ninth AFC Medical Congress, scheduled for next year, with details to be announced in due course.
