'Mouth' pads

Submitted

Dr. Jeffrey Eberting got to meet a host of Blount County’s finest football players recently when he offered to make mouth guards for the players at no cost. William Blount, Alcoa and some players from Maryville showed up to take advantage of the offer.

Submitted

Members of the Alcoa Tornadoes football team enjoy a meal at the office of Dr. Jeffrey Eberting in August. Dr. Eberting made mouth guards for area teams.

Dr. Jeffrey Eberting, a Maryville orthodontist, spent some time as an “equipment manager” before the fall football season kicked off.

Dr. Eberting offered to make mouth guards for the area football teams and several took advantage of his free offer.

“I got the idea from my office manager, Missy Hedden,” said Eberting. “She had worked for Dr. John Pryse, an Oak Ridge dentist for whom I have the utmost respect. He made mouth guards for both the Oak Ridge and Clinton high school football teams.

“This community has been so good to me that this was a way for me to give something back and continue my involvement in youth-oriented programs.”

Eberting has been in practice in Maryville for six years. After the invitation went out, he blocked off a half-day for the teams to come to his office. They provided breakfast and lunch for the teams and coaches at the office.

The process involved making impressions of the players’ teeth, pouring them into plaster and then making the mouth guards from a polymer-based material that is heated and the adapted to the plaster models, said Eberting.

“We made sure school colors were involved,” he added.

Some players from Maryville High School came during the day. The William Blount Governors brought the whole team, coach Scott Meadows and the coaching staff. Alcoa Tornadoes came in groups of three throughout the day, along with their coaches.