Manchester United boss Jose Mourinho makes use of his unique training drill ahead of new season
The pre-season dental check comes after a report found three quarters of professional footballers have gum disease
MANCHESTER United boss Jose Mourinho has put his players under the microscope - by sitting them all in the dentist's chair.
The Portuguese supremo has drafted a local dentist to carry out a pre-season check on the dental hygiene of his squad.
Rooney and the other United stars underwent the examination at their Carrington training ground earlier this month.
It is thought the status of teeth can indicate wider health and injury problems.
A report in November found more than three quarters of professional footballers - including at United - have gum disease while 40 per cent had dental cavities.
The study found that sugar and poor food was causing the tooth decay which affected players' performances and wellbeing.
A source said: "Jose likes to know every detail about his players lives so was happy to get the local dentist in to check over the lads teeth - but it's safe to say some of them weren't quite as chuffed."
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The study by University College London found that footballers at clubs like Manchester United, Southampton, West Ham, Hull City and Swansea have higher levels of tooth decay than the general population, possibly caused by drinking too many sugary sports drinks to boost energy levels.
Researchers at UCL’s Centre for Oral Health said there was an ‘urgent’ need to tackle poor levels of dental hygiene in football.
The news comes after Rooney praised his boss for for bringing "a winning mentality" to the club.
Speaking to Manchester radio station Key 103, the England skipper said: "He's come in, he's been great with the players. The training has been hard but enjoyable. We're ready, we're working hard. We know it's a big season for us.
"He's made, in my opinion, some great signings who have gelled in really well with the squad, so it's exciting times.
"It's always great to get a new manager but, when you get someone in the stature of Jose Mourinho, he's great to work under and he's brought a winning mentality back to the club."
United are also set to sign Paul Pogba for £100m as Mourinho continues his 'crash-bang-wallop' method of buying players - assembling squads quickly and expensively.
Nine players are set to be culled by the manager, including midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger.
But the captain appears optimistic about the boss, who has 17 major trophies on his CV including eight league titles in four countries and two Champions League triumphs with different clubs.
This dental examination has been in place at Carrington for a number of seasons.