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Some People are Afraid of Clowns, I’m Afraid of Dentists

Some People are Afraid of Clowns, I’m Afraid of Dentists

Some people are afraid of clowns. I’m afraid of dentists. Probably because of way too many hours spent in pain in a dental chair as a child. Every time I left the office they would give me a lollipop. That’s like a lung cancer clinic giving you a pack of cigarettes  and a lighter on the way out. I guess they did it for job security. So, needless to say I had to pray my way through fear and trepidation going into the dental office yesterday to have my final wisdom tooth extracted. It didn’t help that merely hours before my appointment someone told me that getting your wisdom teeth pulled after age 30 can be very painful, and since I am 51 I considered that to mean nearly twice as painful. Maybe if you go to the average dentist, yes. Thankfully however this was not your average dental office. Dr. Hazel Glasper’s practice is, pardon the evil pun, a cut above. They made me comfortable the entire time and I left there happy.   The pain… No, the excruciating pain I was expecting never came. The procedure was strangely entertaining. I could  feel the work being done but it was more like I was an observer than a resident of  Guantánamo Bay. Yes, that is what I was expecting. Torture. Especially when they put the cloth over my face and leaned my chair back.  I thought I was going to be water boarded.  Maybe it was the drugs or simply my irrational fear of dentists.

So, now I am starting to rethink this whole fear of dentistry thing. Dr. Glasper has been very thorough, comforting and comprehensive in her approach. Every step along the way of what I am calling my 100,000 mile oral overhaul has been a learning experience and far different from what I have experienced in the past.  The entire team there is ultra professional, very kind and considerate and they put you at ease every step of the way. I have learned a lot from all of them.

No lollipop thank goodness.   I have left their office with floss and other things but never a lollipop. And I’m pretty happy about that. They don’t need to do anything other than an excellent job to ensure their job security.

http://www.revivesmile.com. Look for Dr. Hazel Glasper as one of the Co-Hosts of my new TV show, Wellness 101. coming to your screen in 2016. Check us out now on YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn and at www.wellness101life.com where you can see her blog and other wellness experts sharing great information so that you can live your best life possible. And, if you are not a scary dentist, we want you to join us. Dr. Hazel Glasper and I are looking for comprehensive dentists all over the country to align with Wellness 101’s blog and online resource network, and Dr. Glasper’s Teach Me Dental program. Get in touch with me for Wellness 101 and I can connect you with Dr. Glasper for working with her amazing dental education efforts. I’ve learned so much about oral health from her in the past six months that I’ve made it one of our key missions to educate the nation about the importance of oral health.   Before meeting Dr. Glasper, honestly, I did not give oral health a second thought. Beyond brushing and occasionally flossing it just didn’t register with me how important oral health is to the rest of one’s well-being.   When I approached her about being part of the wellness 101 team I was suffering from advanced gum disease and didn’t even know it. I knew I had bad breath occasionally but I didn’t think that it was something requiring more than a breath mint.  What I didn’t know was that my condition was affecting my entire health profile. Did you know that gum disease can lead to things like heart attacks? I didn’t!   Adding Dr. Glasper to the team could have literally saved my life.

One of the best parts of my job is that I’m continually learning and growing and the things I learned I get to share with you. Everything may not be for everyone but if you’re not seeing a comprehensive dentist you are definitely shortchanging your wellness  and maybe even unknowingly shorten your lifespan.

We may not need wisdom teeth but we definitely need more wisdom about teeth and gums.  At Wellness 101, you’re going to be able to find plenty of great information about oral health from our Co-Host Dr. Glasper and other comprehensive dentists from around the country.

PS I’m not so afraid of dentists anymore. But clowns, they’re starting to creep me out.

 

A.J. Ali

A.J. Ali, "The Wellness Motivator!" is an award-winning writer, producer, actor, host, voice over artist, emcee and creative visionary. He is the Founder and Executive Producer of EclipseVSC since 1999. A.J. is currently producing and hosting the multimedia wellness entity "Wellness 101" with a vision of helping to change the focus of healthcare in America from sickness to wellness (www.wellness101life.com). To launch the Wellness 101 brand, A.J. did the impossible. Starting with only $500, he traveled through all 50 states in 101 days June 16 through September 24, 2014 -- starting in Melbourne Beach, FL and ending up on a sun soaked beach in Hawaii after changing lives in all 50 states. His "True Champion's 30-Day Challenge" book is transforming lives nationwide (www.TrueChampions30DayChallenge.com). Now, Wellness 101 is taking human transformation to another level through holistic wellness. A.J. has more than 30 years experience in sports and entertainment as an athlete, artist and social entrepreneur. He has founded and owned two pro soccer teams and has spearheaded hundreds of successful projects. A.J. created and starred in the TV show "Good Fellas of Baltimore" on Fox in 2011, which raised more than $250,000 for charities in Baltimore and inspired fans to join the cast to help people in need. As an on-air talent and voice over artist, his enthusiastic love of people makes him believable and inspirational. As a wellness speaker and emcee, he is inspiring. An accomplished writer with a conversational style, his work is transformative. His 2007 song "Through the Darkness, Into the Light," compilation music CD "Survivor Celebration" and Survivor Celebration campaign helping cancer survivors won the coveted Hollywood FAME Award for National Community Service. As a philanthropist and entrepreneur, A.J. has raised more than $25 million for charities. He teaches his charity event success methods through a workshop called "MAKE IT RAIN." He is proud to be a U.S. Air Force Veteran (83-87). His mantra is "LOVE is the answer." He is an avid golfer.

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