There’s been a lot of press surrounding the unacceptable behaviour of Luis Suarez in the recent game between Uruguay and Italy.
Anyone who’s felt the excruciating shock of even a bite from a pet rabbit will know that Mr Suarez should be regarded with the utmost caution.
The problem with rabbits, ferrets and many rodents is the prominence and sharpness of the central incisors.
When they sit fractionally below the lateral incisors, as is the case with Luis Suarez, a bite can certainly do some real damage, breaking the skin with the lightest force.
Nature has designed these teeth to cut through food, unlike molars which require greater forces to mash chicken and meat.
The good news is that Mr Suarez could probably be helped orthodontically: by lifting the central incisors slightly, the pain felt by his victims would be on a par with that felt by a normal human bite.
If they were really lucky, they might be caught when he has his plastic retainers in and this would be akin to getting trapped between the jaws of a huge goldfish – not that sore really.
Dr Murphy would offer Luis Suarez, or anybody else, that treatment through a Short Term Orthodontic plan such as Six Month Smiles (£2000 upper teeth only or £2500 including lowers).
Patients should be reminded that these treatments include retainers and a course of whitening.
Finally, Mr Suarez should be commended for his latent apology, no need to ask if he will do it again!