In addition to putting their arms, legs and heads at risk, hockey players are also in danger of injuring another part of their body each and every time they take the ice: their teeth.
“Dentistry is one of the defining characteristics of a hockey player,” Sharks defenseman Brent Burns told ESPN as part of new profile of NHL dentists. “Losing teeth is a badge of honor. And guys are so big and fast, and pucks are bouncing everywhere, it happens all the time in our sport.”
For proof of this, all you have to do is tune into a game and see how many players on the ice are missing one, two or all of their front teeth. The ones that still have their chiclets intact have team dentists, the unsung heroes of the league, to thank.
Each NHL team keeps a full-time dentist on staff and the majority of NHL arenas have dental chairs somewhere near the locker rooms which can be used during or after games. Team dentists attend all games and often sit just a few rows behind the bench with a fully-stocked dental toolkit at their side.
Dentists are an integral part of a team’s success and will often be kept on after an ownership or coaching change, according to ESPN. If the team they work for wins the Stanley Cup, the dentist will get a championship ring and a day with the trophy just like a player will.
“Hockey players accept that being in the dental chair is just part of their job,” according to Calgary Flames dentist Kristin Yont. “And they do seem superhuman when it comes to that.”
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