Skyy Clark reveals emergency dental surgery details after chipping tooth in March Madness

When the NCAA Tournament began, UCLA star Skyy Clark likely had dreams of cutting down the nets. Probably less so an emergency medical procedure in between games. But after suffering a chipped tooth in a game against UCF on Friday night, the latter is exactly what came to pass.

Clark, who sheepishly grinned to the cameras while walking off the floor after a chunk of his front tooth flew across it, explained his post-game ordeal. Not for the faint of heart, assuredly.

“I felt it instantly,” he said. “I kind of like put my tongue where my tooth was, and I felt nothing there and I was like, yeah, it’s gone, so.”

Skyy Clark would gut it out and return to the game. UCLA won 75-71, so it was a decision that paid off. But after the game, attention immediately returned to his chipped tooth.

Nearly half of the front tooth was gone, and roots appeared to be exposed. He confirmed that he had to have the nerve root removed after being put under anesthesia.

“He shot me up with anesthesia,” Skyy Clark explained. “He had to take the nerve out, take the root out, shave my tooth down to a nub, put in a new one, and it was like new.”

The crown will last the UCLA star through the NCAA Tournament, however deep the run ends up being. After that, Clark will get a permanent replacement put in. He already has one heck of a permanent memory — one now shared by thousands of March Madness fans across the globe.

As for the potential keepsake, which teammates found on the court, Skyy Clark explained what happened to the recovered tooth fragment. Turns out it wasn’t much good.

“I just threw that piece away,” he said. “He said there was no saving the tooth. He just put a temporary on, and after a few weeks, I get to get a new one.”

As for the moment, it underscored what UCLA teammates already knew about the team’s versatile guard. He doesn’t back down.

“He’s a dog. I feel like a lot of people, he doesn’t really get hurt,” Trent Perry said. “The only time he gets hurt is when he pulled his hamstring. At the end of the day, he’s a dog. He’ll do everything for us to win.”

Added teammate Xavier Booker: “What Trent said. Diving on the floor, that’s who Skyy is every day.”