So we just partnered up with a new clear aligner company. After going through a lot of back and forth with the other more popular companies, we have found this new (new to us, it's not a new company) that can do the same thing but offers more benefits to our patients. So with that said, for the next 45 days, we are offering $750 off your clear aligner treatment (orthodontic treatment without the metals) for all full mouth cases. Then at the end, you will be given a teeth whitening kit as a thank you for trying this with us. There are other perks but you will have to call our office for a complimentary consultation, 408-267-1660. It's pretty exciting since the holidays are around the corner. Start preparing now to avoid the holiday rush.

One of the hardest lessons to learn in life is to NOT burn bridges. Sometimes you get mad at  someone and you find yourself retaliating in high emotions, only to regret it later. Many younger people react without paying attention to consequences. To be fair, many older people do this too. But life is long for most people. That is why to withdraw social security, you have to live longer. It is no longer 65 years old, but 67, if you're a female. 
You may never know when you're going to meet that person again and that person has the authority to make your life easier or not. Or even worse, that person knows the person who can make your life easier or not. So, refrain from reacting so quickly. Just like refrain from wanting immediate gratification. There is value in delay gratification. Young or old, just walk away when you're mad. It's better to think about what you want to say then say what is on your mind then regret it later. 
This is hard when you're upset. But with time, you will learn. Hopefully sooner rather than later. Here's to keeping your cool.

 This month has a lot of people living on both ends of the emotional spectrum. We had the 2024 Olympics in Paris, parents sending their kids off to college suffering an ache they didn't expect for a landmark, birthdays, and funerals. My friends and colleagues were crying after coming home without their kids. My heart does ache for them because your child was your first unconditional love. After 18 years, it's still hard to cut the cord.
Earlier this month, I took my dad to his friend's funeral. Each time we go, he tells me how he would like his own funeral to play out. He wants it happy, like a reunion. My dad loves gathering and reminiscing.  He tries to attend all the reunions, even the ones in France. At his age,  life is good at a slower pace. He is thankful for his mobility and the mundane routines, as long as he has another day to wake up to.
August is also a complete circle around the sun for yours truly. I am my father's daughter because I try to enjoy what life I have left. No one knows when their time is up. A few of my colleagues retired early to live out their dreams. I'm still living my dream. Even with all the crazies, I am thankful for my job. Two decades ago, I thought I would hang it up by now. But I still enjoy being able to solve complex cases, changing smiles, building confidence, getting to know more people, hearing different perspectives, talking to patients, and I love my team. We're family. I can forego the difficult people part though. Life has its ups and downs, things happen because it's an opportunity to grow somehow and sometimes it just sucks. But as I age, I'm more fluid with each situation. It used to be black and white. Now, there are shades of gray because I understand sometimes one has to compromise. It doesn't mean one compromises all the time, just that specific situation. But I, too, have my limit on seeing the other side of the story. Going back and forth, wasting time is not my forte. My team knows this well about me. We focus on the main point. The fluff is for cakes and desserts. 
As I celebrate with most of my friends and family members, I am grateful to those who always seem to be there, even at 2am, doing the hard work to ensure my success and happiness. Here's to celebrating team work with desserts from Alexander's Steakhouse.
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Truth be told, I try not to get into politics because it's a combative subject. Everyone has the "right" opinions. But recently, the republican VP candidate said that our country is going to be run by childless cat ladies who are miserable and want the rest of the country to be miserable with them. It's such a ridiculous accusation that I'm not going to address it. But there's a story I want to tell. 
About 2 years ago, I went to a wedding. At our table, my husband and I were the only married couple with kids. Actually, we were the only people with kids. Even the long term dating singletons did not have kids . Everyone at this table was a professional: Ph.D in cancer research, engineers, doctors, and yes, an assistant director for the Department of Justice. You can see her on tv behind witnesses at a congressional hearing. These couples have been together for more than 15 years. Only 1 couple couldn't conceive, even with IVF. The rest decided their family of 2 was enough. 
But that one person was still hurting after 8 years. As she explained to me, "There is a difference between not wanting kids and not being able to conceive. It makes you feel less of a woman." She had to go to therapy to get over this diagnosis. Medical intervention failed. It brought her to a very dark place. She was mad at her husband for even suggesting they should have a kid; they had agreed years ago to focus on their careers without kids. My heart broke in two next to the million pieces of her own heart.
So to hear someone say childless people are miserable people. It is so hurtful to me. There are millions of women who cannot conceive yet want children of their own. To this day, I still feel the intensity of her story. It was told with profound sadness. I was not happy to hear our potential future VP's derogatory view of childless people. It is narrow-minded and extremely short-sighted. It attests to his character and how we need to fit into his view of family and patriotism. He seems to lack sympathy. In a country of at least 400 million people, the second most powerful position should not have a confound belief  of patriotism. 

This week we had more patients calling the office in pain than usual. We traveled to a retirement facility to treat a patient's aunt as a favor for our loyal patient. The aunt was a centenarian with a great personality. "All these ladies here cover their mouths with their hands when they laugh. Not me, I don't care who sees my missing teeth." Yup, she fits right in with us. 
We also had a male figure who got upset because we gave him different treatment options and asked which option he wanted us to pursue as he's been to a couple of dental offices before. He thought asking him how he wanted to proceed was a lack of understanding on how to treat his situation. He obviously doesn't know how efficiently we operate in this office while giving patients autonomy over their treatment. We do not force treatment on anyone. After understanding that, he was appreciative of the thought and shocked at the concept as he was used to being told what he has to do.
Finally, we had a young person who was in pain. Mom brought "them" in for treatment under sedation. But they forgot the Golden Rule of sedation, so they ate a muffin in the car  on their way to the office. Patient said they were not in pain so it worked out and they will return in 3 weeks for treatment. Mom was upset.
When you say you're in pain, please remember we didn't put it there. We're here to help you get rid of the pain. We're on your side. I know sometimes you can lose your mind and go straight to anger, but being rude doesn't make the pain go away any faster. You don't have to be nice, but you do want to be courteous. It just makes time go faster towards getting you out of pain. Thank you for your consideration.