Dentist Donates Mouth Guards After Hoopster Loses Tooth

Dr. Fred Faustini adjusts the mouthpiece worn by Eric Madonna last week while other members of the basketball team look on. Those pictured include Dan Healy, Chris Powers, Conor Donohue, Kyle Trabulsy, and Frankie Kelly. ERIC GROSS John F. Kennedy Catholic High School basketball players are wearing protective mouthpieces these days thanks to the generosity of a local dentist. Dr. Frederick Faustini of North Salem Dental Care on Route 22 in Croton Falls created the devices after treating one of his patients recently who was injured during a game.

Conor Donohue, a senior from Brewster, became entangled with other players when he went for a rebound and fell to the floor face first. One of his front teeth was knocked out while several other front teeth became chipped.

Dr. Faustini, who treated the athlete, credited one of the player’s moms who is a dental hygienist for coming to the aid of the injured player by immediately putting the tooth back into its socket. Conor was taken to Westchester Medical Center, where stitches were needed to close his wounds.

Dr. Faustini treated the boy the following day: “He was in rough shape, and, while the tooth looks good, time will tell. Hopefully it will be saved.”

While in practice for 20 years, Dr. Faustini has never treated a hockey or football injury regarding teeth: “One would think this is most common but because the young athletes wear mouth guards and face masks, dentists don’t see these types of injuries. However, in basketball, kids get a lot of elbows to the face and balls to the mouth. I have seen many of these injuries and I finally asked myself: ‘Why aren’t the athletes wearing mouth guards? Is it a high school rule?’ I found out this was not the case and decided to create a mouth guard for the dozen members of the JFK basketball team.”

The mouth guards were molded by Dr. Faustini and his team—Kathy Cortolano, Lynn Daly, Sue Samdal, Debra Powers, and Shana Leone—before and after office hours.

Dr. Faustini has not charged the team members a penny, indicating the mouthpieces were a means of his giving back to a caring community. “I’m glad to see the boys are wearing them and hopefully mouth injuries will be prevented in the future,” he said.

The dentist has also contacted other coaches at JFK offering a similar service and when asked if his offer would be made to other schools in the Putnam area, without hesitation Dr. Faustini said “of course. I’d love to be an advocate for safe sports.”

Last Thursday six members of the team visited the dentist in order to have their mouthpieces adjusted.

Kyle Trabulsy, a 16-year-old junior from Carmel, described Dr. Faustini’s gesture as “awesome. These mouth guards are expensive, and for him to do it for free is really great.”

Dan Healy, a junior from Yorktown, admitted being “uncomfortable” when the device was first installed but “I got used to it real quick, especially after seeing what happened to Conor.” The handsome Brewster youth recalled, “I knew I was in trouble as soon as I came down. My teeth were on the ground and I suffered considerable mouth trauma.”

Frankie Kelly, a junior from Brewster, said he has gotten accustomed to the new mouthpiece: “I thought it might affect my breathing, but I have had no problems with it at all.” Chris Powers, a junior from Shrub Oak, said he felt no difference at all with the new device, while junior Eric Madonna of Somers called the device “sweet. We wear them in practice as well as in games. They’re okay, like Dr. Faustini.”