Akron Life March 2022

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[ Publisher | Colin Baker | cbaker@bakermediagroup.com ]

Golden Smile

Find someone great to take care of your teeth.

My dental issues continued into my teens. I attempted to jump into a swimming pool — from a roof — and missed, knocking out my front tooth again. However, this was more of a teenage stupidity problem. Due to this incident, I started going to the den tist I still have today, Dr. Mastroianni, in Kent. He could’ve easily put in some cheap dentures and sent me out the door, but I appreciated that he wanted the best solution. He didn’t want to do anything permanent because dental technology was changing fast. He said, Better solutions will be available Mastroianni’s dental chair too many times to count, and I’ve learned a few tricks to cope with it. First, the sounds are seldom related to the pain. I’m usually quite numb from the Novocain, so the sound of the drill is just a sound. I try to relax, and I also don’t get too worked up about what he might find. I can’t change it, but I don’t want to avoid it either. Thanks to the invention of implants, I’m part cyborg today. I don’t even worry about chipping a tooth now because the dentist can just get out his little wrench and rachet in a new one. While some of you may be nervous about seeing a dentist for the first time, keep in mind that it is far better to go to a good one. Check out The 330’s Top Dentists list on pg. 30, and make it a starting point for your next dental visit. If your dentist isn’t on our list, look at their smile and make sure they don’t have a mouth full of golden teeth. soon, and you are still very young . Over the years, I have been in Dr.

the dental chair when I was young. I had an unfortunate accident where my face met a baseball bat unexpectedly. Let me just say, When you are playing catcher, you really should wear a mask. The first dentist I remember going to see was after that baseball accident. What I remem ber about him was that he had gold fillings between his teeth. I’m not sure you should trust a dentist with gold teeth. If he can’t find a better solution for his own teeth, just imagine what he will do with yours. I also remember this dentist drove a pretty nice Porsche 911. I later realized that my visits likely paid for a good portion of that car.

Going to the dentist is a dreaded event for many people. Whether you have a fear of needles (or drills) or just don’t like the idea of someone poking around in your mouth, it can be a daunting experience. It’s not just about sitting in a chair and getting your teeth cleaned. Many things can go wrong, from finding out you need a root canal to having cavities that need fillings. Between 10 and 20 percent of Americans avoid going to the dentist because of fear and anxiety, but I spent many hours in

[ Publisher Colin Baker is a retired racing driver and gearhead. ]

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