Final answer:
The dental hygienist aims to evaluate the effectiveness of education on wearing athletic mouth protectors to prevent dental injuries. The loss of anterior teeth impairs the ability to cut food, impacting ingestion. The epiglottis is crucial for preventing food from entering the airways during swallowing.
Step-by-step explanation:
The dental hygienist is likely seeking to evaluate the effectiveness of the dental hygienist's presentation on the importance of wearing athletic mouth protectors. This topic falls under the purview of health education, focusing on preventive measures to safeguard oral health during sporting activities. However, to answer the student's question regarding the loss of teeth during a hockey game, the player lost his incisors which play a crucial role in cutting and slicing food during ingestion. Losing these teeth can significantly affect food ingestion, as it would make it more difficult to bite into foods, potentially necessitating modifications to diet or the use of dental prosthetics to restore functionality.
Moreover, our body has a safeguard mechanism to prevent ingested food from entering the airways which is vital for proper digestion and respiratory health. The epiglottis, a flap of tissue, automatically closes over the windpipe when we swallow to ensure that food is directed towards the esophagus and not the airways. This reflex prevents choking and aspiration which can lead to respiratory complications.