Dangers of contact sport: Hockey player’s incisors stuck in lip

After the game, Vesey sought treatment, and dental radiographs showed the crowns stuck in his bottom lip. After the dentist had pulled these back out, Vesey underwent root canal therapy and his teeth are to be restored with crowns.

In the collision, which happened early in the second period of the match, Kassian’s skate slammed into Vesey’s mouth. Luckily for Vesey, it was the toe, not the entire skate blade, that hit him full in the face. The injury may otherwise have been even worse.

That's hockey #SorryMa pic.twitter.com/oeYJg6FgfV

— Jimmy Vesey (@19Vesey) 11. November 2017

“For me, as a coach, you get to know which player can play through certain levels of discomfort in a game,” commented Vesey’s coach Alain Vigneault on his resilience, Newsday reported.

Orofacial and dental injuries are quite common in many sports. According to statistics published by the American Dental Association (ADA), more than 5 million teeth are avulsed each year, many during sports activities, resulting in nearly $500 million spent on replacing these teeth annually. To prevent these injuries, the ADA recommends the wearing of mouth guards for about 30 disciplines, including hockey and field hockey, lacrosse, boxing and rugby.

"In the collision, which happened early in the second period of the match, Kassian’s skate slammed into Vesey’s mouth. Luckily for Vesey, it was the toe, not the entire skate blade, that hit him full in the face. The injury may otherwise have been even worse.”

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