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High sticks, flying pucks, and the outbreak of fights surround with hockey playoffs this year with a few "chiclets" shattered on the ice.
According to a study of professional hockey players in Finland, the most common injury suffered during games and practices is what's called a noncomplicated crown fracture — essentially, broken teeth. In most cases, this type of dental injury was a result of a blow from the hockey stick. In hockey terms, this is known as a "high stick." Out of 479 injured hockey players studied, 44 percent had a dental related injury — and only 10 percent reported using a mouth guard or face mask.
"Mouth guards are critical to protecting the teeth when playing intense sports," said Dr. Jonathan B. Levine, Dentist & Oral Health Care Expert to Medical Daily. "Adding extra protection such as helmets and masks will also help to protect teeth." Mouth guards are effective because they serve as shock absorbers that prevent fractures and tooth loss.
Unfortunately, only about 60 percent of players wear a mouth guard, according to the National Hockey League's (NHL) Injury Analysis Panel. In the league, full cages and mouth guards are often not worn because they interfere with communication and breathing among the players. Even worse, missing teeth in the NHL is seen as a badge of pride - it's a macho thing to have a crooked smile and to avoid using mouth guards.
The 200,000 oral injuries to the mouth that occur each year can be prevented through the use of a mouth guard says Colgate Professional.
The professional players of this high collision sport have a long way to go to understand the physical and mental repercussions tooth loss can have on their health. The frequency of dental surgeries is prone to cause infections and decrease energy levels in the body. Tooth loss at a young age also means a committed lifetime of dentistry.
"The tooth has to be replaced, managed and re-done over time," said Dr. Levine.
Pro-athlete tooth care is a serious matter in the emotionally-charged, extreme game of ice hockey. But it probably won't stop anyone on the eight best eight teams of the NHL from going all out in their quest for the Stanley Cup. So for now, let's look at the best 10 toothless smiles of this year's playoffs.
Chris Kelly, forward for the Boston Bruins smashed several of his teeth at practice in 2012. Kelly's dental injury was brought on by a sudden fall in the corner of the rink where lost his two front teeth. The NHL all-star left practice and came back to complete the rest of his session. "Just one of those days" said Kelly to reporters on Comcast SportsNet. Screenshot: Inside Hockey: ChrNoncomplicated crown fractures commonly occur when a player receives a blow from a hockey stick. JecowaTodd Bertuzzi (Right Wing for the Detroit Red Wings) is now commonly known for the $60 million lawsuit filed against him by former Vancouver Canucks player Steve Moore over a 2004 on-ice incident. His unshaven, toothless image has intimidated Red Wings’ opponents when “the bad boy of hockey” skates onto the ice. Bertuzzi had his teeth knocked out and now wears a bridge that makes his gums swell up. Screenshot: Todd Bertuzzi BreaBryan Bickell (Forward for the Chicago Blackhawks) is no stranger to losing teeth. In an interview with the NHL, Bickell revealed his teeth were initially knocked out in junior hockey after he was hit by a helmet in a collision. Bickwell replaced his teeth with implants but, alas, those kept getting knocked off too. When Bickell plays, he removes a flipper (spoon) denture that has teeth on it to prevent further dental injury. Screenshot: Bryan Bickell InteMatt Cooke (Left Wing for the Pittsburgh Penguins) has seen his fair share of loose teeth over the course of his 14-year NHL career. He won the Stanley Cup with the Penguins in the 2008-2009 NHL season and is known for his memorable toothless smile. This 2012-2013 season, Cooke had to work twice as hard due to the absence of teammate Sidney Crosby, who was out for the season with oral complications. Screenshot: Matt Cooke Game DaSidney Crosby, Captain of the Pittsburgh Penguins, recently broke his jaw and lost a few bottom teeth prior to this year’s NHL playoffs.
"I'm going to see the doctor this week, and I'll probably just continue to keep seeing him and then whenever he feels comfortable with everything set in and feels like I can go out there and skate and exert, I think that's something I just kind of wait to hear," said Crosby. The Penguins captain may have a broken jaw, a few bottom missing teeth, and a lisp, but he remains the highest-scoring hockey player in the league.Screenshot: Sidney Crosby InjuDuncan Keith (Defenseman for the Chicago Blackhawks) had “Chiclets” coming out of his mouth at the 2010 Stanley Cup Conference Finals versus the San Jose Sharks.
"I took one breath and it felt like my whole mouth was missing so I knew there were some teeth gone,” Keith told the NHL. Screenshot: Duncan KeithJohn Moore (Defenseman for the New York Rangers) lost six teeth after being struck in the mouth by a puck on May 18th in an early-round playoff game against the Boston Bruins. The 22-year old player lost two upper teeth and four lower teeth, according to Newsday.Screenshot: John Moore MorningJ.G. Pageau (Center for the Ottawa Senators) lost a tooth during a Senators and Montreal Canadiens Eastern Quarterfinals game this NHL season. The 20-year old received a high-stick while he scored his first goal of the game, reported CBC Canada. Pageau’s incident marks the third game in a row where a player lost a tooth in the middle of scoring the first goal of the game.Screenshot: J.G. PageauDustin Penner (Left Wing for the Los Angeles Kings) is missing a front tooth after a series of games against the St. Louis Blues.
"I have to think it's the most physical (series) I've played in so far," said Penner to the Associated Press. The two-time Stanley Cup winner is known as one of the most physical players in the NHL. Screenshot: Dustin Penner Mayo
