There’s a lot to see when you’re at a Kraken game at Climate Pledge Arena. But if you look closely, there’s a group of people who sit near the team’s bench whose primary purpose is not to cheer on the home team. Dr. Mike Mulick, the Kraken’s team dentist, is one of them.
As part of National Dentist Day presented by Delta Dental of Washington, the official smile partner of the Kraken, we wanted to share his story.
Mulick comes by his role as a team dentist honestly. He’s been around the profession his whole life – his father was an orthodontist – and after finishing his schooling, opened his practice Dental Care Seattle, in the Pacific Northwest. That business remains his primary focus, but, about 20 years ago, Mulik began serving as the team dentist for the Seahawks. When the Kraken came to town, after conversations with the team medical staff, he added a second team to his list of “clients.”
“I certainly did not go into dentistry to be a sports dentist,” Mulick said with a laugh. “But I've had a fortunate opportunity with the Seahawks and now with the Kraken. It's great. I'm a big sports fan - when I'm not attending games, I'm watching on TV…I love it and I love working with the players. One year at a time (this part of my practice) has evolved into what it is now, and I'm thankful for it. It's been a lot of fun.”
So now, every time the Kraken take to home ice, already in place is a team of doctors who are at the ready to support any medical need that arises during the game. About an hour before puck drop Mulick, a primary care physician, an orthopedist, an emergency room doctor, two paramedics, an X-ray technician plus the three team trainers have a meeting and then get into place to enjoy a little hockey, but also are on call for any need a player from either team may have during the game.
Most of the time Mulick – who does wear Kraken gear to games – and the rest of the medical team get to cheer on their beloved Kraken. But about 6-10 times a year, an in-game injury calls any one of them into service.
As an injured player is hurried off the ice, the appropriate medical team members are rushing to a medical room adjacent to the training room. Mulick has a full dental kit he’s prepared there that allows him to do everything from sutures to extractions, or starting a root canal if needed.
“Most of the time, (we are addressing) soft tissue damage - cuts and bruises,” Mulick said. “And then we do the suturing right there in the medical room. If a tooth is displaced or lost, time is of the essence. We have to get that repositioned right away.
“If you see a player getting hit in the mouth and they picked their tooth off the ice and skate off, we're trying to get that tooth repositioned back in the mouth right away, otherwise a blood clot will form and it’s difficult to get that tooth back in the socket.
“For broken teeth, most of these players honestly have already had previous injuries that have been repaired. So, when they get hit by a stick, they're just breaking off that previous composite that's been placed or the bonding that on that tooth. Those are not emergencies.
“As long as we don't have any nerve damage, we just assess the damage and I get them in my office…in a timely manner to repair the tooth and make it look whole again.”
Mulick also handles pre-season and routine checkups for the players and their families because he believes strongly in the importance of overall oral health – not just treatment if you get hit by a puck in the mouth.
“Oral health is whole body health and if you don't have a healthy mouth, chances are you're going to have some problems in the rest of your body,” Mulick said. “So seeing a dentist on a regular basis, getting oral exams, and having your mouth cleaned is critical. But even more critical than that is daily home care: brushing and flossing every day. What you do at home is the most important thing. I would encourage everybody to have a good home care routine and see your dentist on a regular basis.
“And stay away from hockey sticks. Don't eat a hockey stick for dinner.”
