(Airdate: September 20, 2022) Maryanne McNellis interviews Dr. Liza Mathias, who runs Uptown Dental in PT. She’s a true local, born and raised here. She was torn between art and science when she was in college. After a few years in dead-end, entry-level jobs in Seattle, a friend suggested dentistry might be her answer. Among those she consulted for career advice was Dr. Steven Scharf, her dentist since she was 3 years old. He was extremely enthusiastic. In fact, when she graduated from dental school he wanted her to join him in practice in Port Townsend. A few years later she bought him out – becoming the only female running a dental practice here. Dr. Mathias sees dentistry as the perfect union of art and science. She can be positively lyrical about shaping a crown just right. She views each mouth as an artistic challenge. Sculptors sometimes say they can see the shape that can emerge from inside a block of stone. This dentist believes in the potential beauty in the shapes and fit of teeth.
