Dr. Bill Henry isn’t an ordinary hockey fan.
Henry is the man in whose hands the Ottawa Senators put their trust…and their teeth. For more than two decades he has stitched up mangled mouths, tended to knocked out teeth and assisted physicians in serious situations.
More than half of all NHL players lose a tooth during their career. In an environment where players accept the consequences of mouth trauma – and even regard the gaps in their grins as badges of honour – Henry has one of the most unusual jobs in the sport.
This is the untold story of the Sens’ toothless fairy Dr. Bill Henry.
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- One doctor must always have his eyes on the ice during game time. As the Ottawa Senators’ team dentist, Dr. Bill Henry must be focused on the game at all times and prepared at a moment’s notice not only for a dental emergency, but also to assist the team’s physician with other injuries.
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- A blue box with a peeling label that reads “Ottawa Senators,” houses 25 years worth of mouth moulds for Senators players past and present. In what Dr. Henry describes as “a journeyman’s game,” players are “gladiators” that come and go but leave a lasting impression.
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- By day, Dr. Bill Henry practices “ordinary dentistry” in Kanata, Ont.. at Marchwood Dental. By night, he sits behind the home team bench at Ottawa Senators games. He is the man on hand some of the top hockey players in the world put their dental health on the line.
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- Behind the scenes, in the mouth of the Canadian Tire Centre, Dr. Bill Henry’s dental office is tucked next to the Senators’ dressing room, seconds away from his seat behind the home team’s bench. There’s a tunnel connecting his office to the away team’s dressing area as well in case the opposition suffers an injury.
Credits
Filmed, edited and produced collaboratively by Amanda van Frankfoort, Brittany van Frankfoort and Scott Wheeler.
Special thanks to Dr. Henry and his staff at Marchwood Dental and the Ottawa Senators’ medical team: Dr. Don Chow, Dr. Mark Aubry and Dr. Tim Cregan.
Game footage from CBC and the National Hockey League.