Dr. Chris Salierno

What (or who) inspired you to get into dentistry? How so?

My father inspired me to go into dentistry. He was an orthodontist (now happily retired) practicing in Queens and Long Island and I relished the opportunities to visit him at work. I would later intern with him a few summers as a teenager and he taught me how to interact with patients. He had this calm demeanor that quickly soothed patients. He was also an outstanding leader to his employees. They formed the perfect team that could handle anything.

What famous person (alive or dead) is your dream dental patient? Why?

I enjoy patients who are passionate about what they do for a living and who have great attention to detail. So I'd love to treat a filmmaker like Wes Anderson or David Fincher.

How do you recharge after a long week? What’s your go-to activity for hitting the restart button?

I perpetually experience wanderlust. I recharge my batteries exploring someplace I've never been before, getting lost, and finding my way back home again.

What is the absolute coolest thing about the human mouth?

The mouth is technically inside and outside your body. We think of it as being "inside" of us, but the oral cavity, throat, and the rest of our digestive system is actually just a tube that runs through us.

In another life, if you weren’t working in dentistry, what would you be doing?

I would be a screenwriter and film director.

When I’m in the patient chair, I’m probably grooving to {blank} in my headphones.

Thievery Corporation.