Page 28 - Sports Energy News, Cornwall, Issue No 3

sportsenergynews.com 27

Giving Back to the Community:

Sharbin Mouth guard Clinic

By Terry Tinkess the bone of the jaw, and it can help “When I moved into Cornwall gave to Hospice, another year we
prevent the fracture of the bone or in 2007, I loved it here. I bought a donated to the Childrens’ Treatment
Awareness of the risk of a concussion of something of that house here, two of my kids were born Centre. This year we aren’t decided
concussions to minor hockey sort.” here, and I wanted to be a part of the yet, but we know we will a deserving
players has increased greatly in the community,” says Sharbin. charity.”
Custom-fitted mouth guards are
past couple years, and a change in
made to last, and as many parents will “We want it to be affordable for Judging from the number of kids
attitudes as well as technological
tell you, they will get lost before they the parents, so all we charge for the who were lined-up on August 16,
developments have helped to make
will wear out. There are, however a mouth guard is $40.00,” says Dr. waiting to be fitted the program is a
the game safer.
few simple tips that will help extend Sharbin. “As well, in return for all success. How successful the program
The smallest piece of the puzzle, the life of the mouth guard. the people who have welcomed me is, we may never know, since it is
however, is one that can make a great here, we return half to the Cornwall difficult to say exactly how many
“It is really very easy to maintain,”
deal of difference in reducing injury. Minor Hockey Association to help concussions have been prevented.
says Dr. Sharbin. “We provide them
That piece is a quality mouth guard. keep the kids safe on the ice. The
with a little case where they can store Preventing even one though, makes
In Cornwall, the Sharbin Dental it. They will be using it, so it will pick other half we donate to a different the effort worthwhile.
Centre is doing their part to help by up saliva, and those kids that have charity in Cornwall. One year we
offering custom-made mouth guards. pets at home, especially dogs have to
This is something they have been be careful because the pets will smell
doing since 2008. the saliva and go to it and they can
chew on it and destroy it. When it is
According to Mohamed Abou
in the hard case it is protected from
Sharbin, D. D. S., choosing a custom-
dust or things that may be in the air
made mouth guard is one of the best
and from pets.”
decisions you can make for your
child. Since it will be placed in the child’s
mouth, it obviously has to be clean,
“Being a dentist, I understand the
but all this involves is washing it with
difference between a custom-made
tap water, perhaps brushing it with a
mouth guard, which is what we do
toothbrush (paste not required), and
here in the clinic, and a “stock” one
that is all that is required. Because it
that you can pick up, off-the-shelf at
is made of plastic you need to keep
any store,” says Dr. Sharbin.
it away from heat, so keep it away
“Those ones, because you mold from hot water.
them with heat, they don’t fit right,
Hockey is one of the most expensive
their bulky, and you can’t talk with
sports to play, and mouth guards are
them. The custom-fitted one, it just
not cheap. According to Dr. Sharbin
fits in the mouth, over the teeth, the
you can usually expect that to have
palette and the soft tissues so you can
a custom-fitted mouth guard made
talk with it, you can take a sip of water,
in a dentist’s office, it would cost
and it’s very comfortable. That’s the
between $160-$180 dollars because
key: it has to be comfortable or the
of the workmanship, the lab time and
kids aren’t going to use it.”
materials that are involved.
According to Dr. Sharbin, the
The good news is that because he
mouth guard does more than protect
has enjoyed the life he has found since
the teeth. They can help to reduce the Dr. Mohamed Abou Sharbin, D. D. S. (left), and Mike Piquette, vice-
possibility of concussions. moving to Cornwall, Dr. Sharbin has, president, Cornwall Minor Hockey along with some of the many children
for the past five seasons, tried to give who took advantage of recent custom mouth guard clinic held at the
“It extends a little bit over what something back. Sharbin Dental Centre.
is called the alveolar bone, that is, Photo by Terry Tinkess

Home of Cornwall’s Biggest and Best Smoked Meat

Now serving Local Perch Rolls & Platters Team Pitchers Specials
Every Friday & Saturday 4 - 9 p.m. Live music every Thursday & Friday
All-U-Can-Eat Prime Rib Au Jus
9 p.m. to Close
$
Breakfast served daily starting at 4 95 only 14 99 Full take out menu available
$
Every Wednesday 2 p.m. to close Every Fri., Sat. & Sun. 2 p.m. to 9 p.m.
All-U-Can-Eat Wings only 14 29 10 oz. N.Y. Strip Loin Steak FREE delivery
$
$
$
Burgers, Steaks, Italian, Mexican and much more! only 13 99 on orders 25 00 & over
(613) 933-7008 • 101 Montreal Road, Cornwall