Biathlete Sophia Schneider wants to treat pain with dental and jaw treatments and increase her performance – with first success.
One-sided neck and head complaints have been troubled by Sophia Schneider for years. The pain would have broadcast into the arm, says the biathlete from Traunstein in the ARD knowledge documentary “My body. My teeth” (Monday, 10:50 p.m., in the first). After a long search, a suspicion was confirmed: a misaligned jaw had a negative impact on her body.
Schneider has been a squad athlete since 2024, won the World Cup in Ruhpolding in January 2025 with the German season. Her big goal: the qualification for the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan and Cortina. “In particular, we competitive athletes always look for the one percent where you can still improve. And the teeth will often forget”, ” says the 27-year-old.
Less complaints Aligner therapy
She had with Dr. Siegfried Marquardt, one of the most experienced sports tooth doctors in Germany, go into orthodontic treatment. “Sophia’s dental state was already very – I say – deformed”says Marquardt in the documentary. “This bite situation was actually responsible for all of these problems that took place below the head.”
Biathlete Sophia Schneider and sports tooth doctor Siegfried Marquardt
Marquardt recommended Schneider an aligner therapy. “Aligners are transparent rails that I wear regularly and that lead to the teeth wandering into the correct, optimal position.” The patient reported success three quarters of a year later: “My muscular problems have definitely gotten better. Of course you are somehow happy with it yourself.”
Sports performance rail for Performance increase
In addition, a sports performance rail should now bring an increase in performance. It should ensure optimal jaw position and thereby improve mobility, endurance and coordination.
It has not yet been scientifically proven that this works. “The study landscape is currently very mixed”, says Anne Wolowski, professor in the poly clinic for prosthetic dentistry at the University of Münster. “There are promising individual reports that there are obviously positive influence. But there are also studies that show no effects.”
For Schneider, the bill seems to be going. Measurements during a sprint training in Ruhpolding indicate that Schneider with the new tooth rail actually runs more symmetrical and a little faster. Perhaps the seconds won are crucial in the end for the fact that the dream of Olympics will come true.