The Holidays

This week officially is the beginning of the holiday season, and while you and your staff are trying to slow down, take it easy, and enjoy some family time, your patients probably are like, “Um, my benefits expire soon, so please see me for all that work you treatment planned back in February.” I propose that insurance companies change the benefits expiration date, but I suspect it is all planned out on purpose. 

I tend to especially become a perfectionist around Thanksgiving. I don’t know if it’s just my dentist personality taking over and wanting to do everything myself, but it is difficult for me to give up control. Last year, I was sleep deprived and taking care of an infant and let my mom do most of the work. This year, I’m ready to do (most of) it again. I must confess I am outsourcing the pies to a local bakery because pie crust…well, it’s just something I have learned not to mess around with from past experiences. Leave it to the professionals, I say. 

I am pretty grateful that my side of the family lives nearby and my in-laws are willing to make the trip here, which means I have zero holiday travel to deal with. The downside is everyone is in town for the weekend, and after a few days, I’m trying to find any excuse to get out of the house. And I do mean any excuse. I always wondered why the Greater New York Dental Meeting always began the weekend after Thanksgiving. Isn’t everyone at home hanging with their families, eating leftovers? But I get it now. Sometimes you just need a break from family time, and if you’re a dentist in the tristate area, you get a good excuse—if you need one, that is.

I hope everyone has a great Thanksgiving!

Lilya Horowitz, DDS, FAGD