How Deni Avdija's broken tooth changed Gal Fleitman's career

On Jan. 29, 2024, Deni Avdija’s basketball season with the NBA’s Washington Wizards took an unexpected turn when San Antonio Spurs player Keldon Johnson accidentally elbowed him in the face during the third quarter, breaking a front tooth. Avdija returned to the game after briefly leaving in visible pain. For Gal Fleitman, a Tel Aviv-based dental professional and former athlete, the incident became part of her career story. She treated Avdija as he grew up at a family clinic and, after he returned to Israel with the broken tooth, provided mouthguards through her newly launched business. She said she posts about the importance of mouthguards and that they’re replaced annually as wear can cut protection from 90% to 40%, depending on use frequency. Fleitman’s path to dentistry and media was shaped by advice from journalist Gadi Sukenik and her later work in Israeli TV casting.