Pain and Growth

It is funny how much we grow as people.

I have to tell you that as you grow older your eyes are opened to so much more.

I think even now at 40 I am learning about life. I am not only becoming street smart, I learning so much more about people.

What I mean by learning about life is I am seeing it for what it is.

My assistant is 12 years older than me.

And when I was out of school, for about 2 years she would shake her head at the things I said.

Almost like she was saying "how naive".

I would get ticked at her because I was in this stage in my life that I thought I knew everything.

But she was a 40 year old that knew a bunch more about life and about people than I did.

Okay, now I am forty and my eyes are opening to life.

Now all of you that are 20-40 I know what you are thinking, "my eyes are open" and you are getting a little defensive. I understand. But I can't help it. I just don't think you have seen enough to know what I am talking about.

I was talking about this to my assistant this morning and we talked about this subject.
She said by the time you kind of get it all figured out, two things happen: you are too old to use the information effectively and when you want to share it, no one younger than you wants to hear it.

(On a side note...I read an article about mentoring. The author talked about how the older dentists have a lot to offer the younger dentists and that the older dentists need to make themselves available to the younger dentists. I agreed with him. I wrote him telling him that I agreed with him and told him that the only problem with making yourself available is that no one wants to be mentored. I told him that I didn't think it was the older dentist that didn't want to give the help, I thought it was the younger dentist that wasn't seeking it out. He whole heartily agreed with me.)

Well what has gotten me so introspective today. Well, I had a friend die this weekend.

He was 48 years old. He was a father of FIVE children. He was a great man who had a great wife and he had great kids. His oldest was 21 and his youngest is turning 9 this weekend.

He was also a member of my church.

Are you freaking kidding me? This is the stuff that my assistant was shaking her head at me about when I was 26.

I didn't know pain. I didn't know loss. I didn't know infidelity. I didn't know divorce. I didn't know the depth of darkness in people's lives. I didn't know apathy. I didn't know failure. I didn't know job loss. I didn't know bankruptcy. I didn't know death.

On an another aside....

I love Michelangelo and this is one of my favorites. This is his sulpture called St. Matthew. They thought originally it was an unfinished work. (double click for a full size) But what it is, is the emerging, the growing of Matthew. He is becoming Matthew. He is becoming the man. I just think this work is so powerful.

Okay back on track.

So this weekend was unbelievable. You don't know, at least I hope you don't know this stuff at 26 years old.

Man was this hard. I was one of the first people over to the house when the family was finding out. Talk about pain.

Where is the life handbook that talks about this?

In the last couple of years I have been exposed to a lot and it is not all good. So how do I live my life and not have a complete mental breakdown? How do I live and "consider it joy" as the Bible tells us to do?

How do I avoid the midlife crisis now that I recognize why more people are going through this?

You never make as much money as you wanted. Your relationships are hard. Your friends are getting divorces. Your parents are dying. Your friends are dying. Your kids are angry with you. You have more work than you can accomplish in the week. Your staff is angry with you. There are problems with patient management. Bills are piling up. And there is pain. So much pain. AAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHH!!!!

I don't know the answer to my own questions. But I do think that having a spiritual life helps.

I came across a Bible verse this week that spoke volumes to this question.

It is 1 john 2:15-17

Do not love the world or anything in the world-the cravings of the sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does- comes not from the Father but from the world. The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever.

Now I don't want to get all Jesus on you but when you are thinking past this world and you believe in what comes next...you can rest a little.

I can totally understand Paul, in the New Testament, when he says (and I paraphrase) "Lord take me now. Take me from this stupid life and get me out of this stupid earthly body. "

I am sorry to be such a downer today but this is where I am at.

I promise I will try to talk more about teeth soon.

Have a good Wednesday, I hope it's better than mine. Burial is at 2:30pm today and Memorial service is at 3:30pm.

John

I have thought a lot about what I said in my last blog. When I talked about not liking your job and not liking where you are at, my response is CHANGE IT.

I am sorry if I have trivialized this issue. I am sorry if I didn't see this as a very painful topic for some people.

I see the error of my ways. My (I hate to keep coming back to this phrase) eyes have been opened to how this can really weigh on someone and I am sorry.

If you want to talk my personal email is Jgammichia@aol.com . Any time.

Swimming at the Grand Canyon

Miss me? Don't answer that, things like that are best left unsaid.

Has anyone heard about Jessica Watson? She is a 16-year-old Australian girl who is sailing around the world non-stop, alone & unassisted on a 34-foot sailboat. Right now she is nearly 3000 miles from Australia, 1200 miles south of the equator near American Samoa. She is 3 weeks into a 230+ day journey.

Now as a parent and certified cranky old person I have real problems with this. First, I have to ask "why". This is not the 15th century when there were worlds to be explored and new territories to be found. This is the 21st century where the only thing gained from this is notoriety. It is like some steroid laden "Outward bound" journey to find yourself. But at 16 do you really need to find yourself? I don't care what she or her parents say, this is a goal that was placed into her head by someone else. She may think it is hers but this is the ultimate stage-parent pushing their child at a young age. The danger here is that she may not return.

That said, I wish her well and read her blog to follow the journey.

OK, on to the National Lampoonesque experience in Phoenix. If you haven't seen the classic '80s film starring Chevy Chase - you are missing a real piece of americana. My Wally World experience began on a Sunday journey to a waterpark in Phoenix that shall remain unnamed but that rhymes with Met & Miled. This particular waterpark advertised at the hotel we were staying at and was having their final day of the season on Sunday. The kids were way excited. Kansans getting to swim in November?? They were up early and ready to go.

Now being the good dad that I am, and knowing that the last day of the season with forecast highs of 90 would bring out the masses, we wanted to get there early. So with a scheduled opening of 10:00 am MST, we pulled into the parking lot at 9:15. WOW, it looks awesome, so many rides. Water coasters, wave pools, giant tubes - water heaven in the desert.

Huh, parking lot is empty - suckers. I get my choice of parking spots. I know, Clark W. Griswald would have parked far away from the entrance so he could get out quicker at the end of the day but I am no Clark W. Griswald. I had a very bad feeling in the pit of my stomach because I have seen "Vacation" multiple times. I knew that this was going to be a bad memory for the kids so I parked close - and we waited. . .hoping. . . praying. . . getting locked in the parking lot as a maintenance worker closed the single open gate behind us.

OK kids, on to plan B which consists of getting the *(^(&* out of the parking lot before we move from National Lampoon's Vacation into some southwestern sequel to Deliverance. Park is closed, maintenance dude doesn't care that the brochure we have says that it is open today, they closed for the season yesterday. Allrightythen. Glad I paid for the insurance on the rental car (well first I'm glad they "held the reservation" for the rental car) cuz we are off-roading it to get out of the locked parking lot.

Very upset kids (and parents for that matter), all in swimsuits and flip flops and now no plans for the day. Hey, look the car has GPS. Plug in a lake nearby and let's go rent a boat and play. OK, lake is 30 miles away - awesome. We can sing songs and laugh for 30 miles. Quick check of the gas gauge tells me we have 50 miles to empty - not a problem, will get gas on the way (or on the way back).

Arrive at lake entrance and pay $6 for day pass. We are directed to the marina where it is only a brisk 1/2 mile walk from the parking lot to the rental boats. Not another soul around, great day to rent a boat - I bet they even have a discount for foolish midwesterners like us that still think it is warm enough to be in the water. Excuse me, how much. . .for how long???? That's the off-season rate or I am purchasing the boat for that price. You have got to be kidding me. Apparently the economy is doing better down here than in KC because I could buy a whole army of American Girl dolls for a 1/2 day boat rental.

Plan C - let's go to the Grand Canyon. First, we just need to get some gas. Let's look at the GPS and see where the nearest gas station is because I didn't see one on the way but no worries, we have 4 miles till empty and they always estimate low so we probably have 15 or 20 miles to find fuel. OK, 23 miles to the nearest gas. Cool, hey kids have we talked about faith before? Anyone wanna start praying. Oh look, there is the state penitentiary so they have lots of signs about no picking up hitchhikers and we hit "0 miles until empty" 10 miles ago. This would be fun. . .ha, ha.

Well we made it to the gas station and actually did go to the Grand Canyon - in flip-flops and swimsuit coverups. AMAZING.

Have you seen it?? So worth the drive and the kids did awesome. So much fun and they don't even remember the other stuff that day.

After that it was back to the daily grind in the office - but I have to tell you, the voices were quiet for a couple of weeks because all the bills were paid and the family was provided for. The trip was so worth it.

Now the voices are back because I have to find a new Patient Care Coordinator, so I better go and call references. I'll try to talk more about that next week.

Have a great week.

ric

I don't like my parents

Friday.....yes.

Noah, my five-year-old, is not happy. It was past his bedtime and he was grouchy.

We got home late from watching our school's district volleyball game, and we all jumped in the shower. Well he wanted to go to bed. So I forced him in the shower.

And he starts with, "I don't like parents."

I said, "Really, how would you get along without parents?"

He said, "I don't need parents."

"Well, Noah," I inquired. "How will you eat?"

He says, "In my bank I have $14."

"Noah, what are you going to do when those $14 run out?"

Then he says, "I can make money." Now he is saying all this with this scowl on his face.

How?

"I can do my chores. I can fold my laundry. I get money for sleeping (I give him a $1 if he sleeps past 7 am and $2 if he sleeps past 8 am. You would to if your 5-year-old kept waking you up at 6 am on a Sunday morning). And I can help around the house."

"Noah, who is going to pay you for doing your chores?"

Silence.

Then a big smile comes across his face. The smile that says, "Oh, you got me."

I tell him how much I love him and need him in my life.

Okay a funny story that will lead very nicely into today's topic.

Andre Agassi.

Let me do a little background information. Andre became a professional tennis player at the age of 16 (he is 39 years old).

He has won 8 Grand Slam events. He won in prize money over $30 million and was said to make about $25 million A YEAR in endorsements.

Okay, so I am reading a People magazine in the lunch room in our office, and I read he has written an autobiography.

In the book he talks about how he hated his father.

In the book he talks about how he hated tennis.

And in the book he talks about using crystal meth.

Now let's break this down.

He doesn't like his daddy. I have talked about this in the past. How far do we push our kids?

Well, it was apparent from the article that Andre's dad pushed him.

I am so sick of hearing about people's daddies. I am so sick of hearing about people blaming their parents.

(Let me rephrase that. I can get when people talk about not having a father. This is something I want to hear about. When someone's father is abusive and addicted to drugs. Yes this is something worth talking about. )

I think that book Tweak really jaded me. This drug addicted kid, that just liked being high better than he like being sober, was trying going to try to blame his dad in this book. When is he going to be old enough to be responsible for his own actions?

There is no golden rule about parenting. It is so hard. And us parents are just trying to do the best we can. Now, if my kids grow up screwed up (and I pray every night they don't) it won't be because I didn't love them or I didn't try.

Am I perfect? No

Am I going to screw things up? Yes

But who doesn't.

I just got this email this morning. I have received it before. The email says that Bill Gates was in a high school class giving a speech and these are some of the excerpts.

Rule 1 : Life is not fair - get used to it!

Rule 2 : The world doesn't care about your self-esteem. The world will expect you to accomplish something BEFORE you feel good about yourself.

Rule 3 : You will NOT make $60,000 a year right out of high school. You won't be a vice-president with a car phone until you earn both.

Rule 4 : If you think your teacher is tough, wait till you get a boss

Rule 5 : Flipping burgers is not beneath your dignity. Your grandparents had a different word for burger flipping: they called it opportunity.

Rule 6 : If you mess up, it's not your parent's fault , so don't whine about your mistakes, learn from them.

So Andre's dad was tough on him. I can see that. I can see a dad thinking that his boy has talent and that if he just pushed himself he might be able to be great. He might be able make some money playing tennis.

I guess there are ways of doing this. Tiger and his dad (and his dad pushed him pretty hard) were best friends. Sean O'Hair (professional golfer) and his overbearing step-father haven't spoken in over 5 years. (This story was on 60 minutes. His step-dad spent over $2 million on Sean's golf swing. His step-dad made Sean sign a contract that half of his winning would go to the step dad. Oh he made him sign the contract when he was FIFTEEN YEARS OLD)

But these are three dads of elite athletes. They may have done it wrong but IT WORKED.

Now as a father would I rather have the money or my kid. I would say my kid 100 out of 100 times.

But I also know what it is like to have to go to work every day (okay, four out of seven days) and worry about the money in some capacity. I know what is like to work in a dog-eat-dog world.

And if there was a way that my kids could avoid this by playing a sport or acting in a movie...that is where the lens gets cloudy for some parents.

Just one more tournament, he is almost there. Just one more commercial, and I think she will get her big break.

Now the I HATE TENNIS thing really irks me. This 39 year old that has made over $300 million playing tennis. He won't have to work another day in his life. He will not have to set his alarm at 5:45 am to go to work. He will not have to use the sweat of his brow to make ends meet. He will not have to go in on a Saturday to help a neighbor kid. The only thing he might have to worry about is if he should get one or two professional chef's to go with him to visit his French chalet in the mountains.

Don't get me wrong I am not delusional about how money is not the only thing. I get that.

But I am surely not going to look this gifted horse in the mouth. I know I have it good. I know I have a great practice. I know I have a great staff. I know it is awesome to work with my dad.

I thank God every day for making me a dentist and putting me where I am at. I thank God for giving me the talent that I can use.

I love teeth. I love being a dentist. I love helping the neighbor's kids.

And for me to tell in my "tell all" book that I hate dentistry is a kick in the ass to everyone that has helped me get to where I am at today, even if my dad pushed me too hard.

(Now I realize that some people hate their job. I think this is different than hating dentistry. If you do hate your job...change it).

Lastly the crystal meth thing. What the hell is up with people these days?

CRYSTAL METH?

What ever happened to the rebellious stage being all about marijuana?

But METH, this is some bad stuff. He said he was sitting around watching TV with a buddy or a rep or someone and the guy says, "Hey do you want to do some gack?"

This is Andre freaking Agassi and you are going to ask him if he wants to shoot meth with you.

Who the hell is he hanging around with?

Man, people are stupid.

Now maybe because he never had a childhood and all that crap, but hell, you can buy your childhood now.

Okay, I have to stop. I don't want to offend anyone anymore.

I must be in a nasty mood today.

I don't think any of you would be too offended by what I had to say.

I am would like to hear if you agree or disagree with me.

Have a great weekend.

But remember don't push them too hard...they could make $300 million and you don't want them resenting you for it. I said I would stop, so I am stopping.

John

Running 22 miles tomorrow. Marathon 24 days away.

The weather here has been PERFECT. About 60 as a low and about 80 as a high. Real nice.

He is Our Meal Ticket

Hey,

I had an eventful weekend.

Friday night was Madison’s Birthday party. The big American Doll presentation.

I think she had a great time. All her friends were there and there was even a surprise Ms. Debbie.

Then we went home to do Pizza and a movie with the family. We watched Miracle.

It is a great family movie. Good times.

I am not going to talk about the Gators (because my not talking about them has apparently helped them) but I can talk about the trip I took to Jacksonville with my son Luke and a couple of my friends and their kids.

I got my run in on Saturday morning and then we left Orlando about 9:45.

We got to Jacksonville at about 11:30. This was enough time to set up the chairs and have a beer and a cigar and relax.

Then we went off to the game. It is so awesome getting to a game in a big city. They do it up right.

The game was great. Literally half the stadium is red and black and the other half is orange and blue. The stadium has a back drop of the city on one side and the backdrop of the water on the other. Real nice.

At the end of the game it took awhile to get to the car because Alltel Stadium is tough to get in and out of.

We finally got into the car and just drove a bit. We were hungry so we stopped in St. Augustine and had dinner at Cracker Barrel.

Food, it is amazing to see what it will do to rowdy 10-13 year olds. They were zonked in the backseat of the van about 10 minutes after dinner.

Rolled into the driveway at about 11:30pm. What a day. (Considering I was up at 4:45am to go running).

A lot going on but I want to get right to my story.
I am sitting in my office after work and I hear the chime of the front door. After I hear some discussion up front one of my staff members comes and gets me.
Some-one up front wants to talk to me. She says that his two year old son had fallen and chipped his tooth. Now as I am walking up front I am preparing myself for what I am going to see.
I have seen it all. Kids with lips all busted up….bleeding lips and bleeding gums. Teeth totally busted out and teeth moved but not out.
I have seen teeth broken at the gumline and I have seen little tiny chips.
So I immediately switch my mind into worst case scenario mode. I prepare for the worst.
I go up there and there is a man holding his son. He shows no signs of trauma.
He obviously was not traumatized and neither was his son.
I switch into this is no big deal mode.
The father says that he chipped his tooth.
Now all of us who have kids know that all kids chip their teeth.
I have had three kids with teeth. I had 4 chipped anterior teeth and one avulsed tooth.
AND I AM A DENTIST.
Well, let me tell you what the treatment is for a chipped tooth on a person under 8 years old…..NOTHING.
I said it is no big deal. His gums don’t look like they have been traumatized. He is going to be fine.
But apparently this was not enough for this dad.
He said, (literally he said these words) “I want to get this fixed because he is our meal ticket.”
Then he went on to tell us that they have him in modeling and are looking on getting him into commercials.
Did you hear me? They want this two year old to be able to pay for them to live.
Things that make you go hmmm?

Okay, let’s stop here for a minute. We all think our kid is the cutest thing in the world. We see our kids and say, “They are cuter than that kid in the diaper commercial.”
But we all know that this kid in the diaper commercial is not going to be the next Drew Barrymore.
You see these reality shows on parents and their kids trying to win pageants. All the parents look like idiots. And for what I have seen it is all about the parents and never about the kid. Now I take what the reality shows portray with a grain of salt but…
What is so wrong about our kids just going through life being normal? Why do we all want our kid to be famous?
Just take a glance at People magazine and tell me how many famous people look happy in this magazine. Now I know that the stars in People magazine are not a perfect representation of all the stars.
So back to the kid in my reception room….
I tell this father that if he really wants it done that I would recommend that a pediatric dentist take care of this. I told him I have this friend that is a couple miles away that would love to fix this tooth for your son.
He told me that he had a chip and I fixed it and he was very pleased, could I work on his son.
So being the sucker I am I said I would try. He said his son is real good and I shouldn’t have a problem doing the work.
I told him that I didn’t think he would be able to do it but I would grant him his wish.
A couple of days later he was in my chair.
How do you think it went?

Well, first of all, the dad didn’t bring him. Mom and grandma brought him.
And it went about has well as expected. He wouldn’t let me even go near him.
The mother tried all the coaxing and then the grandmother came in and did some “bad cop” routine that didn’t work either. They were both annoyed at the kid.
I told them, “Don’t be annoyed at a two year old for acting like….well, a two year old.”

This job is so interesting. You get to see people for who they are.
You, most of the time, get to see people raw.
You get to see people, elated. You get to see people in pain (hopefully not of your doing) physically and emotionally.
And most of the time it is not pretty. I tell you people are great. People are nice.
But even I will be a total a@#$!*ole when the rubber hits the road.
When it is all done I say to myself, “what just happened there? You were such a turd.”
You feel guilty and then apologize. But that tells me what I look like inside.
BLACK.

I am going to stop here but I still want to talk about this. I just read an article about Andre Agassi and how he resents his dad for pushing him into tennis. He goes on to say he hates tennis.
Can you imagine if Tiger came out and said he hates golf?

Have a great Wednesday,
John

Today is the first day of flag football practice.
I brought my easel in order to draw plays for the kids.
Man am I excited about this.
I even slept pretty good last night.

Returning from Wally World

I am returning from the Crowder Family Vacation and will pass along the Griswoldian experiences tomorrow. Have a great day,

ric

Hodgepodge

Hey,


Hope things are well with you.
Things going pretty well here. My daughters birthday party is today.
And like I told you she IS getting the ridiculously expensive American Girl doll.
At least she will be happy and I will not feel guilty. That is what this is about isn't it.
Us trying to be the most ideal parents. Well what ever happened to teaching them about values? What ever happened to us teaching them about saving?
I guess because our friends won't see our wealth that way.
I am not going to go through this again. I am not. I am stopping now.
She is going to be thrilled. I am stopping now.


I am not talking about the Gators anymore and if I was I would tell you I am going to Jacksonville (FREE TICKETS, for those of you who are checking to see how much I spend on football and complain about toys for my kids) to the "largest outdoor cocktail party". Luke and I are skipping Halloween to watch the Gators play.

Speaking of Halloween, it is dentists favorite holiday. I am not the dentist that gives kids nickels or toothbrushes in silent protest of candy. I embrace it. I go to Costco and buy a couple of the Snickers Big Bars.

I am not kidding. I staple my card to it and write, "If it hurts when you eat this, do not hesitate to give me a call."

I love Halloween.


Let me ask you a question.
Let's say things don't go so good at work.
You and I we care about your work that is out there. We want our signature on all things. We are proud of our work. What do you do when things don't go so good?

Yesterday I had to do a reverse post and core. I think I made up that name but this is what I call it. This is what I do when a perfectly good crown breaks off (usually someone else's crown). You know when the crown breaks off and some or all of the original tooth is in the crown. The crown margins are intact.
This is what I do, I lube up the inside of the crown, I etch and prepare the tooth and then put self curing build-up material in the crown and a little on the tooth and put the crown back on.
Then the material sets up inside the crown. You take the crown off and Voila you have a new build-up that fits inside the crown.
Tell me I am not the only one doing this.
Well yesterday I had a patient that it was #10 (front tooth) and he broke it at the gum line. I did the root canal and then was going to do the post and a reverse core.
Well I think when we were cementing it we placed the crown slightly buccal.
It was all porcelain so when you are cementing it you only get one chance. There is no, "Oh no that is wrong, take it out lets try again." Your finger is on it and you cure it and then you look at it.
Then what do you do. I am not talking major or anything. But you want it to be your best.
Man, I can't stop thinking about it. I hate doing average work.


Oh, I got an email from my friend who is the guy doing ortho.
I have to show it to you.


Gammich!!!

ORTHO! My favorite subject (occlusion is a close second).
Well, it all started off about 6 years ago when i decided to take an ortho course and learn more about ortho. I wanted to figure out why my orthodontists gave me lots of 'ortho-excuses' for why cases turned out the way they did. The course was Brock Rondeau, probably the biggest name out there for general dentists doing ortho. It looked really easy, and i decided to buy a starter kit from GAC. I started a couple cases on friends that went great. So, i did a couple more that went great, except for the occasional problem that popped up and made me realize i don't know everything there is to know about ortho. So, over the next 5 years i have taken about 400 hours of OrthoCE from about 6 different speakers. I do about 3/4 of my ortho, and still refer out about 1/4. I also couldn't have done it without the help and encouragement of my orthodontist, who has been a great mentor. I'm not sure how many active cases i have...maybe 20 (5-8 are adults). I only end up with about $/year from ortho, but my fees are probably a little low. The main thing is, it's really fun for me, very rewarding, cerebral, and easier than prepping teeth and trying to get a Bitine ring on a 2nd molar. I think the economy has slowed the cases down a bit, with many patients holding off on ortho, which can always be done later.
I'll attach a great case i just finished. Tell me this hasn't changed this 17 yr old's life!


A couple of things jump out at me from his email.
His passion is the first thing. (I don't think he is orthodontist bashing either)
His desire to do well.
He is having fun and helping his patients at the same time.
I love it.


Last thing for the day is of a personal note.
I am going to come clean. I have periodontal disease.
It all started when I was about 27, I got my first 4mm pocket. I began to floss. I started but was not religious.
It stayed. I then went to having my teeth cleaned every three months.
It persisted.
I then really began to floss, like every day. I got a Sonicare toothbrush and for sure it was going to be a 3mm.
This has been over a 10-12 year period. At about 2 years ago it became a five. I was like damn. So I ramped my hygiene up a notch. I have been flossing two times a day for about a year now.
This last time I got my teeth cleaned this one pocket was a SIX MILLIMETER POCKET.
WHAT?!!
I couldn't believe it.
So I made an appointment at my periodontist office.
I got the full work up. Let me preface this by telling you that in 2001 when this thing was a 4mm I did an exam at his office. He said he wasn't concerned.
Now this appointment was different.
He says obviously it is worse. He wants to do root plainings on me.
Now keep in mind the last thing dental I have had was 13 years ago. I have not been numb in that long.
He is going to numb my whole mouth and do have mouth of root plainings and half mouth with his new argon laser. I am going to be his science experiment.

I go under the knife next Monday.
I have to tell you, I am the perfect example of bad genes. My mother has lived at the periodontist office her whole life. My father has perfect teeth.
I blame her.
This is going to suck but I have to tell you that I am actually looking forward to feeling what my patients feel. I want to go through it so I can be of a witness to the experience.
At least this is what I am telling myself.
That is it. Hodgepodge of stuff.
But Wednesday....I have this awesome story to tell you. It is so crazy (cliff hanger).


Have a great Halloween,

Be careful,

Don't forget to change your clocks on Saturday night.

john

Orthodontics for the General dentist

Hey all, I am not going to talk about the Gators anymore.
Man has it been tough to watch their games. The offense is really struggling. They have a championship defense. Do you know in 7 games they have only given up 4, yeah I said four, touchdowns. They gave up 19 points last week on two field goals and two defensive touchdowns. I won't tell you that my beloved Tim Tebow threw two interceptions.
Okay, no more talk, starting now.
Well I went to the zoo on Friday with my daughter. I haven't been to the zoo in a long time and yeah it still sucks. Even my daughter said, "Mom, it was boring." I am not saying that all zoos are bad. Just the Central Florida zoo is.
I started a book called Born to Run. I am not usually into books like this (this book is about these Mexican's who live in the woods and are super marathoners), but I was assured this book is so awesome. So I am giving it a try. I don't have any books on the list after this, so if you have any good ones I could read, let me know. I really want to read a war book or I am thinking about Jeannette Wall's second book after The Glass Castle (if you haven't read this book YOU HAVE TO. It is amazing.)
I am watching The Curious Case of Benjamin Button right now. Did you know this movie is 2 hours and 40 minutes? Wow. It is taking me more than two sittings to watch it. It is average.
Enough about me, let's talk dentistry.
I went to a dental course a couple of months ago and there were a couple of classmates of mine. We had lunch. I really like them both, and I think they are very stand-up guys. So I am not learning stuff from quacks and then bringing it to you.
I trust these guys. Hence the story.
So talking at lunch one of them talks about how much he is loving doing ortho. Let me preface this by telling you I am a meat and potatoes kind of guy. I spend the most of my time trying to get better at fillings, crowns, and esthetics and stuff like this. And as you know, we all live on our islands, and I thought everyone else was doing the same thing.
So we are talking and he tells me he loves doing ortho. So I say, "So you have really gotten into the invisalign stuff?" He says, "No, the real orthodontics. Brackets, bands and archwires and everything."
I said, "WHAT?!!"
 "Yeah" he says, "I have taken about 200 CE hours on it, and I have about 40 cases going right now."
WHAT?!!
My other friends pipes up, "Yeah, I am loving it too."
"WHAT?!! You too?"
"Yeah" he says, "but not as much as him."
So the two of them start talking about how they do it. They talk about what kind of brackets they are using and how they are handling the harder cases. My head is spinning at this point. I mean I get about 5 ortho CE things a week in the mail, but I always just throw them away. Am I alone here? Are you guys/gals doing ortho?
Are you doing Invisalign and like doing your 10 cases a year or are you starting to do bracket ortho?
I have to tell you it intrigues me. I am talking about stuff other than bread and butter general dentistry.
I have a friend that dabbles in just about everything. He does implants, he does Invisalign, he does Botox, he does Lubriderm.
My thing with something like implants is this.... I can take all the courses in the world. I can buy all the equipment. So I can take 2 years worth of every weekend course and buy $50,000 worth of equipment and I still WON'T BE AS GOOD AS MY IMPLANT GUY.
This is the bottom line.
If I do it will it be better for my patient if I do it or my implant guy. I can't do it as good as my periodontist who does 3-10 a day.
How am I going to do it as good as him if I do all the CE and have the equipment and I do 1 a week?
Same with Lubriderm, same with Botox.
If I can't do it well, I don't want to do it. So could I get good at it? What ever it is. Ortho, Botox, implants. Yes, I could get good at it.
But how long or how many implants do I need to do to get as good as my periodontist.
Could it be fun?
Yes
Could it be profitable?
Yes
Could we get good at it?
Yes
Could we do the single slam dunk lower mandibular implant?
Yes
Am I saying I haven't thought about it?
No
Am I saying have I thought about getting into ortho since talking to my friends?
No
Tell me and the other readers what you are doing.
Are you doing ortho?
Are you doing Botox?
Are you doing implants?
Is it working out for you?
Or are you like many others that took the course, bought the stuff and it sits there?

Have a great Wednesday. I will let you know about the comments on Friday.
john

P.S. I got many comments on the American Girl Doll blog. I have to say that the woman are very pro doll and the men think it is crazy but do it because it makes their daughter happy.
I did have an apparent avid reader call me to task on all the Final Four trips and National Championship trips I take and all the tickets I have to buy for this. I had a friend tell me once about the four irrefutable law of life. 1) Bones will heal 2) Chicks dig scars 3) Pain is temporary 4) Glory lasts forever.
Now I pay all that money for the games because of the 4th rule. This was money well spent because it will last FOREVER.
In the laws there is nothing in the four laws it doesn't say anything about dolls.
 I kid.
I did get your point about my trips. I thought about that when I was writing. I was hoping no one would call me out. No such luck. Birthday party on Friday. I will let you know about how the doll presentation goes. It better come in an awesome box.