Extreme Pullin'

Dr. Dustin Reynolds is a rare breed of endodontist who loves "Pullin’ Teeth". To be clear, that’s not the treatment of choice at his Lynchburg practice, Forest Hill Endodontics. It is, however, one of his many hobbies when he and his wife Cary aren’t busy chasing their two young daughters - Laurel (8) and Pyper (1).

Growing up in rural Appomattox, some of Dustin’s earliest memories are spending time outdoors and tinkering under the hood of antique cars and tractors with his father. At school, and in college, he excelled in math and science (in addition to being a varsity athlete), and it was that love of building, of problem solving, and working with his hands, that pushed him toward a potential career in engineering. Dustin and his father spent many hours in their garage, so much so that they made a pact: when they had the time, knowledge and means, they’d build a tractor, together.

In 2015, after establishing his practice and setting up shop in Lynchburg, the two made good on that promise, purchasing a 1976 International Farmall 1066. It was an ordinary 100 horsepower farm tractor, that the two transformed into Pullin’ Teeth,

a 1200 horsepower modified tractor that in Dustin’s words “does things no tractor should be able to do.”

And while Pullin’ Teeth might be overkill for the Reynolds family farm in Charlotte County, it’s perfectly suited for the sport of tractor pulling. Popularized in the Midwest, the sport involves using high-horsepower vehicles to pull a 42,000 lb weighted sled – imagine a flat-bed trailer with moving weights on it. The goal is for your vehicle to create enough power to drag the sled 300 feet: whoever moves it furthest wins. In order to do that, vehicles need to deliver power and speed, motors need to be built strong enough to resist catastrophic failure and tires need to spin fast enough to gain traction while overcoming the resistance of the sled dragging against earth.

Late last year, Pullin’ Teeth made its second appearance at the Southern Showdown, in Miller’s Tavern, one of the largest truck and tractor pull events on the East coast, where the team placed 2nd, pulling the sled 349 feet at over 30 mph. The team also participates in the popular Field Day of the Past event just outside Richmond. But beyond the fun on the

track, Dustin loves being able to use his tractor to promote oral healthcare with fans from Pennsylvania to North Carolina.

It was the desire to have a positive impact on others that first drove Dustin toward a career in dentistry. While at Hampden- Sydney, studying physics, Dustin worried that a desk job as an engineer wouldn’t suit his out-going people-person nature. During that time, Dustin also served as a volunteer fire fighter and EMT and while many aspects of those jobs suited his personality, the potential for 3 a.m. pages did not. It was at that point that a fraternity brother suggested dentistry. Endodontics was the cherry on top, playing towards Dustin’s steady hand and love of problem solving.

In addition to his family, his practice and Pullin’ Teeth, Dustin is an active volunteer with the United Way of Central Virginia, a past president of his local component, a current board member at the VDA, an avid supporter of organized dentistry and a regular volunteer provider at the Free Clinic of Central Virginia. If you’d like to learn more about Dustin or his practice, visit him at www.foresthillendo.com.