The NHL’s Shocking Smile Secret: Why Star Players Choose Missing Teeth Over Fixes

“You’re in the middle of an acute injury,” Riley says. “You’re battling the player maybe not really wanting to be there, wanting to get out right away.”

If a tooth comes out entirely, its prompt recovery makes saving it more likely. According to Fasbinder, emergency technicians sometimes carry bottles for displaced teeth containing a solution that mimics saliva’s slight acidity. Milk can also be used.

“It’s a very time-dependent success or failure mechanism,” Fasbinder says. “The longer the tooth is out of the mouth, the less success you’re going to have that the tooth is going to be able to be replanted and become a part of the dentition again.”

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