Celebrity and dentist aren’t two words that usually go together. In fact, at first thought, even talking to a dentist for any extended period of time seems extraordinarily boring. After speaking with Dr. Nicholas Toscano, however, it’s easy to see why if there is going to be a celebrity dentist it should be him. He’s an Ivy League grad, a former Navy man, and an overall interesting dude. He’s done dental work on two Presidents including my personal hero Bill Clinton. In his thriving New York City practice he counts the Housewives of New York City and nearly 50 pornstars amongst his clients. Mens Mag Daily was able to catch up with Dr. Toscano to discuss his days in the Navy, how he deals with patients, and Bill Clinton’s questionable golfing practices.
Mens Mag Daily: Okay, first things first, how the hell does somebody go about being a celebrity dentist?
Dr. Toscano: (Laughs) It wasn’t easy. I went to Columbia dental school in New York City. I left there in 1998 and joined the United States Navy. I served for 13 years and for 7 of those years I was in general dentistry and then I went into the surgical residency at the National Naval Medical Center. I made a name for myself in the Navy and I was in Puerto Rico with the Navy SEALS. I was in Iraq for a little bit and after my residency I was a surgeon and I got stationed in Washington where I was the head of oral surgery and periodontics for the White House, Congress, and Senate. I wrote a lot of clinical papers about surgery and I actually created my own magazine which is The Journal of Implant and Advanced Clinical Dentistry and can be found at www.jiacd.com. While in the Navy I had the opportunity to treat Bill Clinton, Hillary Clinton, and George W. Bush. I left the Navy in 2009 and I had a very good reputation at that point. I was lecturing around the world to the surgical community. I set up shop in Manhattan and started treating a whole bunch of celebrities. I treat the Real Housewives of New York. I treat models. I have about 45 porn stars that fly across the country from L.A. to come get treatment. It was a lot of hard work.
Mens Mag Daily: Okay so you went to Columbia dental school and don’t get me wrong going into the Navy was very noble but what made you decide to do that?
Dr. Toscano: My entire family has served our country. My dad was a Navy SEAL from 1968-1972. My grandfather was in WWII. My brother is currently in the Navy and he is a JAG lawyer. My whole family has done service so it’s kind of a big part of our family. If it wasn’t for the United States Navy I wouldn’t be the surgeon I am today.
Mens Mag Daily: And you’re from New York?
Dr. Toscano: I am, I was born and raised on Long Island.
Mens Mag Daily: So what’s it like working on the President of the United States?
Dr. Toscano: It’s just like treating anybody else but don’t get me wrong, initially you’re very nervous. I mean, you’re treating the most powerful man in the world. After about 30 seconds he’s just like any other patient in your chair. He’s just as scared of you as you are of him. Bill Clinton was an absolute character, a very comedic guy. George W. Bush was just fantastic. He respected the military a lot and treated us like gold. He’s a really nice guy.
Mens Mag Daily: And Clinton was a cool guy?
Dr. Toscano: Yeah he’s a very cool. Some of the funniest stories actually came from Bill Clinton. I was actually treating one of his Secret Service guys once and he told me a story. Bill Clinton loves to golf but he’s not a very good golfer. During his presidency he would go golfing with quite a few world leaders. The Secret Service guy told me that they would carry around golf balls in their pockets for Bill Clinton and they say something on them so you could differentiate the balls and when Clinton would shank one into the woods they would go drop a ball on the green. (Laughs) One time he was taking on the Prime Minister of Japan and he was cheating worse than Bill Clinton. He’s a great guy.
Mens Mag Daily: What about the Real Housewives of New York, are they horrible people?
Dr. Toscano: They are interesting people. They’re all very nice but they do have a bit of a sense of entitlement but overall they’re pretty sweet. I think that just comes with the territory.
Mens Mag Daily: What does it feel like when you see that a Real Housewife has a bigger sense of entitlement than the President of the United States?
Dr. Toscano: (Laughs) That’s New York City for you. I have people that aren’t celebrities and they want me at their beckon call. I take good care of my patients but I have patients that aren’t celebrities at all and they think they’re the king of the world. In New York City you have a lot of pretentious people and I think one of the reasons I do well is because I treat them like family regardless of the level of pretentiousness. I have a wide variety of patients. I do pro-bono work and I have extremely wealthy patients that live on Park Avenue. It really varies. Some of the riches people are the cheapest people and the blue collar people will spend every dime they have.
Mens Mag Daily: Pornstars, what is it like treating them?
Dr. Toscano: You know, the ones I’ve treated have been great. I think the perception the public has about pornstars is that they’re all drugged out whores so to speak who will do anything for money. The ones I’ve dealt with are businesswomen who are very entrepreneurial. They may have multiple businesses. The perception is much different from the reality. Most are very sweet. Usually the younger ones seem to have a bit more of a sense of entitlement. I also think that people think they can just bang them because they are pornstars. I think they come to me because I’m very professional and I don’t cross any lines. It all started with Britney Andrew in 2009. From there it kind of exploded. Over a 5 year period of time I think she’s referred about 500 patients to me and not just pornstars.
Mens Mag Daily: What’s the worst dental emergency you’ve ever seen?
Dr. Toscano: I’ve seen all kinds of things. I had a patient who had terrible pain in his upper teeth and nobody could figure out what it was. I stuck with his case and I did a biopsy and it turned out it was a deadly tumor that was rapidly approaching his brain. They got him some radiation treatment and he survived. I’ve seen a wide variety of things. There’s a lot of research going out that what happens in the mouth is very connected to the body. There is a whole host of connections and they include many illnesses including heart disease, diabetes, and strokes.
Mens Mag Daily: Okay, so we should brush our teeth then?
Dr. Toscano: (Laughs) Yes, twice a day at least. Everybody should see the dentist every six months.
If you would like to see Dr. Toscano check the following links:
http://www.manhattanperiodontist.com/
45 W 54th Street Suite 1E
New York, NY 10019
212-265-7150
