Belmont, MA Health and Fitness

When not cleaning, straightening, and whitening teeth, Boston Dental‘s team of dentists continues to advance its knowledge of the dental arts. Dr. Travis Mize teaches at Harvard School of Dental Medicine, and Dr. Alice Cheng volunteers at a clinic for young adults in need of free emergency dental care. The multicultural staff members are fluent in several languages, enabling better communication with patients while discussing treatment options and impressing tongues enough that they stay out of the way. The clinic aims to take away one more stressor from dental visits by offering validated parking at the Lafayette Place Garage around the corner.

At Smile & Skin Aesthetics, a talented staff boosts patients' self-esteem with a host of dental and skincare services. According to Damian D. Meola, DMD, a second-generation dentist with more than 20 years of experience, "there is a synergy between the smile, the skin and a sense of confidence that having both in great shape brings." He tackles the dental side of services with specialties including smile makeovers, full mouth reconstruction, and successful mediations with tooth fairies. Board-certified aesthetician Stacey Powell, alternatively, enhances the skin with nonsurgical treatments such as facials, microdermabrasion, and waxing services.

“It’s the challenging fits—either spectacles or contact lenses—that drive me," writes optician John Parrelli on his website. Since opening his first shop in 1978, these challenges have included cataract sufferers who were left without binocular vision following surgery. Parrelli and his team of lens specialists experimented with different materials, designs, and indices of refraction until they could fabricate a lens thin and strong enough to restore these patients’ sight.

Today, Parrelli Optical has grown to six locations, where optometrists inspect patients' vision with a comprehensive, 15-point eye-health assessment and complete visual analysis. Through digital corneal photography, they're able to diagnose corneal disease and increase the precision and comfort of prescriptions. The locations also host a wide selection of designer frames, ideal for experimenting with different styles, such as wearing 20 frames at once.

The dentists at Seaport Dental Associates keep patients relaxed and comfortable, using the latest technology and cultivating a calming office environment replete with an elegant rock garden and bamboo plants. Patients can watch television during their visit, which might include a treatment with the innovative Waterlase device—a noise- and vibration-free hydrokinetic system that removes hard and soft tissue with laser-powered water droplets, making cavity-removal and gum procedures virtually painless.

The orthodontics-focused practice also specializes in Invisalign treatments, providing an average of 560 patients each year with the clear, smile-straightening aligners. They also perform quick and convenient teeth-whitening sessions to brighten the smiles of bridal parties or teams of competitive blueberry-pie eaters.

Apartments, offices, restaurants, and shops occupy Kendall Square’s 10 acres, which also host a variety of seasonal events. In winter, an 8,400-square-foot ice rink welcomes skaters seven days a week, and Broad Canal is lined with farmers' market vendors slinging local produce, honey, cheese, and flowers during warmer months. Free summer concerts, cosponsored by the Berklee College of Music, take place in the square’s open-air plaza, and canoe and kayak rentals are easily available through Charles River Recreation. A dedication to green living guides all the action at Kendall Square, which is easily accessible by train, bike, Zipcar, and pogo stick.