At the checkered flag is a perfect smile By Dave Conard, Sportswriter 08/16/2006

Dr. Thomas Balshi's Pi Dental Center staff acts excited as racecar driver Mario Andretti rolls by in his 2004 Lamborghini Murcielago during a commercial shoot for the doctor's office.

On Monday morning, the high-pitched roar of an engine replaced the summer serenity of Fort Washington State Park. The shrill sound echoing through the lush park was racing legend Mario Andretti cruising his 2004 Lamborghini Murcielago on the sliver of paved roadway that runs through the park. Andretti was shooting a commercial for longtime friend Dr. Thomas Balshi, whose company Pi Dental Center specializes in dental implant surgery. The field of prosthodontics in the United States may still be in its infancy, but Dr. Balshi has been involved in the field for more than 20 years and Andretti was one of his first patients. "Tom was a want-to-be driver," said Dr. Balshi's wife, Joanne Balshi. "Mario was the real thing. We followed his career long before he was a patient of ours. Tom and he ran in the same circles for years, we have known Mario since 1970." In 1964, Andretti cracked a tooth racing sprint cars in Reading in the beginning of the season and another during the Hoosier 100 in Indianapolis. At that time, there were not too many options available to repair such damage. When Andretti decided he needed to correct what had been done, he counted on his friend to get him smiling again. "Mario was running open-cockpit racing," said Dr. Balshi. "He was injured by a piece of asphalt that nailed him pretty good. He was one of my first implant patients." "There was no question of who I would go to," Andretti said. "Any professional appreciates the work of someone striving to be the best. In racing, you can't exist or be successful unless you surround yourself with the best people and technology. It's the same when it comes to your own well being or your family. You are cheating yourself if you don't go for the best." Throughout the years, the two have maintained a strong relationship and never miss an opportunity to catch up. "They both love speed," Joanne said. "It's like watching two college pals when they are together." Joanne explained there is a remarkable synergy between racing and the prosthodontics. "You need steady hands, precision, dedication, courage enough to try it, a nothing-is-impossible attitude," she said. According to Dr. Balshi, prosthodontics is the replacement of broken, decayed or missing teeth with synthetic roots made of titanium, and then building prosthesis made of porcelain or enamel and attaching them to the roots. Simply stated, the procedure gives people who have genetic defects - or victims of trauma an accident - a chance to regain their confidence with a dazzling smile. As the 10-hour commercial shoot came to a wrap, Andretti was flashing his well-known smile to all. He was glad to answer any questions, talk about racing or content just to sit back with an old friend and reminisce about the old days. "It's important that your smile looks natural," Andretti said. "There is a lot of good out there, but very few bests, you need to surround yourself with bests. "In life as well as racing, it's all about maximizing what is available to you, pushing yourself to the edge of your abilities." Pi Dental Center is located at 467 Pennsylvania Ave., Fort Washington. For more information, visit Pi Dental Center's Web site at www.teethinaday.com or call 1-800-748-3265.

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NEWS RELEASE: Shades of the old Philadelphia Grand Prix breezed through Fort Washington on Monday, August 14th, when Mario Andretti piloted his red Lamborghini around the rambling roads of Fort Washington State Park in front of a professional camera lens. NFL Films was on the scene to create a television commercial that showcased how speed, precision, dexterity, and dedication in just the right equation end up first on the finish line, whether it be behind the wheel of a race car or behind the instruments that create a winning smile. The finish line on Monday was Pi Dental Center on Pennsylvania Avenue, the former Fort Washington Racquet Club, which two decades ago had its own makeover and became a mecca for dental fitness. Dr. Tom Balshi, the founder of the internationally acclaimed dental center now recognized simply as "PI," has collected a few laurel wreaths of his own. His biomedically engineered smiles are produced daily with speed and precision. He has been the "driver" behind smiles like Mario Andretti's for twenty years.

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Dr. Glenn Wolfinger, left, and Dr. Thomas Balshi, right, worked with Mario Andretti on the spot.

Click here to see an Overview of Pi Dental Center More Information Home | Write Us to Request Information or Ask a Dental Question To make an appointment for an evaluation, call: 1-800-PI-TEAM-5 1-800-748-3265 All information is intended for your general knowledge only and is not a substitute for dental or medical advice or treatment for specific dental or medical conditions. You should seek prompt dental and medical care for any specific health issues. See disclaimer. Copyright 2008 Pi Dental Center (Prosthodontics Intermedica).