Jack Hughes' dramatic overtime goal to secure Olympic gold for the United States against Canada not only made headlines but also underscored a crucial, often unsung aspect of professional hockey: the indispensable role of team dentists. When Hughes took a stick to the mouth during the thrilling match, scattering teeth across the ice, it was a stark reminder of the physical toll the sport exacts and the specialists who patch players up on the fly.
The Unseen Guardians of the Ice
Jason Schepis, the New Jersey Devils team dentist, watched from his home in New Jersey as Hughes, a player he had previously treated for similar injuries, endured the blow. "We did the root canals, fixed it up," Schepis recalled, noting that those very teeth had been repaired after a high-stick incident in the playoffs years earlier. Hughes, embodying the resilience typical of hockey players, shook off the injury and scored the winning goal, his gap-toothed grin becoming an iconic symbol of a sport where missing teeth is a badge of honor.
A Culture of Resilience and Rapid Response
Every NHL team employs a dedicated dentist, part of a medical staff that stands ready at every game. These professionals are essential for handling everything from chipped teeth to severe jaw fractures. Mark Nishimura, dentist for the San Jose Sharks, explained, "When there is an injury to the mouth, our physicians are like, ‘Oh yeah, we’re so happy you’re here because we would not have been able to do that.’" He recounted handing Joe Pavelski's teeth after a puck struck his jaw in the 2019 playoffs, an incident that still resulted in a goal for the team.
Hockey dentistry often involves triage, as described by former player Chris Clark, who lost teeth and fractured his palate. "Hockey dentists are ‘triage doctors,’" Clark said, learning this firsthand during his time with the Washington Capitals. Longtime Capitals dentist Tom Lenz has seen it all, from driving players to his office at night for emergency care to managing complex injuries that differ significantly from typical dental cases. "You never know till you get back there, so you always have to be ready to just jump in and take care of it," Lenz noted.
Notable Incidents and Player Endurance
The list of dental dramas in hockey is long and varied. Keith Yandle lost nine teeth in a game but returned to play 168 consecutive matches afterward. Brent Burns had three teeth knocked out by a stray stick in 2013 and has since skated in over 1,000 games. For Alex Ovechkin, a stick to the mouth in 2007 cost him a front tooth; he opted for a temporary implant, but his toothless smile became part of his legendary image, even as his mother disapproved.
Schepis highlighted the urgency of these situations, such as when he performed root canals on Hughes during a playoff game against the Carolina Hurricanes in 2023. "They’re snapped in half, the nerves are hanging out," he described. "Just numb him right at the end of the first, did the root canals right there, pulled the nerves out. The orthopedic surgeons think it’s like miracle work."
The Evolution of Safety and Player Attitudes
Despite advancements like mandatory visors, which have reduced facial injuries, dental emergencies remain a regular occurrence. Brenden Dillon, now with the Devils, wears a mouthguard after an NHL fight cost him teeth, noting, "It feels like once a game at least somebody’s getting dinged up with something." Hockey players are known for their high pain tolerance; Lenz observed that many forego anesthesia for sutures, preferring to return to the ice quickly.
Nishimura recalled Pavelski's response after losing teeth: "Pavs went back, we numbed him up, sutured him. He went back out and finished the game. It’s incredible. Hockey players, they don’t quit. They are a special breed of human being."
The Demanding Life of a Hockey Dentist
These specialists must be available around the clock, handling emergencies at all hours. Schepis once performed a root canal on Jaromir Jagr at 1 a.m. and sutured a player's mouth after a puck caused extensive damage. "There’s a lot of little nuances to sports dentistry vs. regular dentistry because it’s just not standard," he explained. "You have to move fast and you have to always move with the player’s best intention."
As hockey continues to celebrate its tough, resilient culture, the role of team dentists remains vital. They ensure that players like Jack Hughes can turn painful moments into golden opportunities, all while keeping smiles—however incomplete—on the faces of the sport's warriors.
