What began with Avdija’s dental injury became Gal Fleitman’s custom mouthguard business; she explains why she left reality TV casting to launch the company and how boxer Ahavat Hashem Gordon’s smile helped promote itOrit Merlin Rozhenzwaig|On Jan. 29, 2024, Deni Avdija was playing for the NBA’s Washington Wizards. During the third quarter, San Antonio Spurs player Keldon Johnson accidentally elbowed Avdija in the face, breaking one of his front teeth. Avdija was filmed briefly leaving the court in visible pain before returning to the game.Gal Fleitman, a former athlete, has not forgotten that incident. Avdija had been treated from a young age at the family dental clinic run by Fleitman’s father and his two brothers. When he returned to Israel, he came to the clinic with the broken tooth. After receiving treatment, Fleitman provided him with mouthguards from the small business she had recently launched.GalleryGal Fleitman (Photo: Mai Goldstein)So, how is Deni Avdija doing?
“Since the dental injury in 2024, he has come in every summer to get new mouthguards before flying back to the NBA. We replace them every year because wear and tear on the material can reduce the level of protection from 90% to 40%, depending on how frequently they are used.“After his tooth broke, I posted about it on social media. I explained what had happened, and it gave us a boost in exposure. The second time he came to us was after the repaired tooth was hit during a game. He was already wearing one of my mouthguards, which was fortunate. I posted a story explaining how important it is to wear a mouthguard because it reduces the risk of a far more serious injury.”Deni Avdija (Photo: FIBA)Fleitman, 29, is single and lives in Tel Aviv. She is the daughter of a dentist who treats many athletes — more on that later — but she was never steered toward the family profession. She played tennis and volleyball and, after serving in an IDF computer unit, realized at 21 that she would eventually have to find a new calling.“In volleyball, especially for women, there is a glass ceiling,” she said. “I knew I had to find my own path and I wanted to work in television.”When she was 21, veteran Israeli journalist Gadi Sukenik visited the family clinic and gave her a valuable piece of advice: “If you want to work in media, you have to throw yourself into the deep end and start working in the field.”Did you take the plunge?
