Fiacla

[seafoid]

I was just reading there about Pat Fox and the Galway hurlers of the 1980s and it got me thinking about teeth. Do hurlers today have more fiacla than  their 1980s predecessors? Some of the hurlers back then were very mantach.  I seem to remember Conor Hayes with a shocking set of teeth.

[Bud Wiser]

The standard of dental healthcare in this country in late 40's early fifties was dreadful and I know in my neck of the woods if a young lad had a bad tooth it was whipped out and thrown in a bucket without as much as a consultation.  A needle the size of a match stick was stuck in your gum an by jazus you never felt pain like it.  If you mentioned root canal treatment back then somone would think you were going to dig up docks or nettles along a canal.

Now there is more options available, didn't Tyrone footballers put their last AIF win down to growing beards. Not that I would ever go to a game to look at players teeth or anything but in hurling we have the helmets and I would say you are more likely to get de-balled from a simple push in the back than loose a tooth these days !

[Bord na Mona man]

The graph for average amount of teeth per player has been on the up for decades.
Less pulling at high balls, more helmets, more brushing and better dental repair work have helped.

We should pick a team of mantachs.

[seafoid]

It's all a bit of a blur . I think Cormac Bonner was missing a few. I don't remember the Offaly teeth very well.

[Sean3]

Cormac Bonnar was missing a few alright. Did Christy Heffernan have any teeth at all?

[Maiden1]

Aye no root canals or anything like that back in the day, you got a toothache the only thing needed was a stiff drink and big set of pliers.  My grandparents went into the dentists one day and asked for them all to be took out  .  Far handier and cheaper just to get a full set of dentures than to be going back and forward to the dentist all the time.

[The Wedger]

It's all a bit of a blur . I think Cormac Bonner was missing a few.

The Viking was missing plenty of teeth.
He was one of the first players to wear a helmet with a faceguard.

[seafoid]

 Some of those old all-stars posters have a lot of social dental history. 

[lilpaulie85]

Ken Mcgraths front teeth said day day years ago.

[5 Sams]

Tony Doran??? Beal folamh aigesan!!

[Asal Mor]

Dan the Man is missing a few but I think that's a part of his iconic image.