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UCLA basketball's Skyy Clark all smiles after procedure repairs damaged tooth
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- UCLA basketball's Skyy Clark all smiles after procedure repairs damaged tooth
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PHILADELPHIA, PA — You just never know when a dentist on standby will come in handy.
That moment came Friday night inside Xfinity Mobile Arena for UCLA men's basketball guard Skyy Clark, who had his front tooth knocked out after he dove to the floor in an attempt to get a loose ball against Central Florida's Themus Fulks.
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"I didn't know (what would happen). The trainer, Alexa (Blatt), told us she was going to find a dentist. I thought I was going to be toothless for the night and get it fixed today," Clark told USA TODAY Sports outside of the Bruins' locker room on Saturday, March 21.
The 6-foot-3 guard received some immediate attention from UCLA's medical staff at the bench after the incident. He checked back in toward the end of the game and hit a free throw with 2.3 seconds left to seal the victory for the Bruins.
The dentist who saved the day was Dr. Jeff Goldfine, who is the dentist for the Philadelphia 76ers in Philadelphia. Clark said he found out he was getting a new tooth 15 minutes after Blatt said she was going to find a dentist in the area.
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"Went there (to the dentist's office), took me in around 11:30. I left around 12:45, 1 in the morning," Clark said.
UCLA shared a smile of Clark's new smile on social media on Saturday.
Clark described the procedure Goldfine performed as similar to one used for a root canal. He said Goldfine made the "whole process painless," telling a larger group of reporters at media availability that anesthesia was used.
"He had to take out the nerve, clean all the tooth, and take out the root," Clark said. "Then he had to nub it down and make a little fake tooth. (Then) cemented it on for temporarily."
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When asked whether he's in any pain just over 12 hours after the procedure, Clark told USA TODAY Sports there is a "little soreness" in his mouth.
"Nothing crazy," Clark said.
The replacement tooth is only temporary, Clark emphasized. He'll need another procedure in a few weeks, once the Bruins' season is over, but there won't be any holdback in how he plays in Sunday's second-round matchup against No. 2-seed UConn. He'll wear a mouthguard for protection tomorrow, though.
The Bruins and the Huskies are set for an 8:45 p.m. ET tipoff on Sunday night in Philadelphia. A win would advance UCLA to the Sweet 16 of the Men's NCAA Tournament.
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: UCLA basketball's Skyy Clark repairs damaged tooth, to wear mouthguard
