KELLY K'S NEW GRILL, BY DR.
SANTO LAFOCA, PITTSTON

BLOG ENTRY #1

Hello there, it’s me, Kelly K, your At-Work Network midday DJ.  We’ve spent many an All Request Business Lunch together, and chances are you’ve seen my picture on 985krz.com.  I’m smiling in that picture, but it’s kind of a slight, Mona Lisa-type smile.  There’s a reason for that.

For years now I’ve been meaning to do something about my “hillbilly teeth.”  Sure, my friends and family all tell me they’re not that bad, but I’ve always felt self-conscious.  When I was 7, my 2-year-old brother threw a glass bottle of moisturizer and it caught me in the mouth, breaking two of my front teeth.  It was a shame, the bottle broke the permanent teeth, not the baby teeth on the side.  Ever since then I couldn’t really smile in school pictures.  Add to that, money was tight in my family, so I never got braces.

When I walked into Dr. LaFoca’s office for my appointment, I was full of hope that maybe he could help me, finally fix my grill.  I should have known when I made the appointment with Sharon, how she went out of her way to get me in as soon as possible, that this was going to be a very different dentist experience.

Sharon, April and Ginger were some of the first people I met on Dr. LaFoca’s staff.  Very nice people, very understanding about my situation.  When I met Dr. LaFoca, the first thing I noticed was that he had a very gentle touch – a lovely quality in a dentist!  He took a look in my mouth, took some x-rays, and in a few minutes we were looking at them on his laptop.  He was pointing things out to me, explaining the possibilities, and looking at me like – I don’t know how else to explain it – like a sculptor looks at clay.  I was about to become his Venus De Milo.  (Was she smiling?)

Dental insurance would cover the basic stuff, the rest would be an investment in myself.  I made a follow up appointment for some basic dental work and walked out, pondering the cost.  He showed me what I could look like with the pictures on his laptop.  Awesome does not describe it.  I started thinking about how I’ve been on the radio since I was 14, but always shied away from appearing on TV, because of my self-consciousness.  How I’ve always been nervous meeting new people because I think they’re focused on my teeth when I talk to them.  I wondered how many people think I’m unfriendly because I tend to hang back and don’t smile very often.  And I realized I wouldn’t just be making an investment in my looks, I’d be making an investment in my CONFIDENCE.

I’m going for it.  I’m getting my smile redesigned by the artist Dr. Santo LaFoca, whose office may be at the corner of S. Main and William in Pittston but they make me feel like I’m in Beverly Hills when I walk inside.  If you’re curious, call Dr. LaFoca’s office at 655-3040.  And check back weekly with this blog as I go through the process of learning to smile again!