This year we celebrate 20 years of ownership and sisterhood. When I took over in 2004, it was a little crazy. I was naive and had no business acumen to understand how an office operates with employees, insurance plans and difficult patients whose first line of defense is, "I'm going to sue you." Dental school didn't teach business management, much less a psychology to deal with people's rolling emotions. My own experience as an associate only lead to more frustration with bastard bosses and compromising my values.
But through it all, it is amazes me that this office, this little practice of my own, this little niche of dentistry has brought me so much joy. I matured with my team and patients. I learned from my older patients to appreciate life as it comes and to just keep moving. I now understand that placing my roots in one place also gives me strength and not just boredom. I am lucky to have what I have. I love my team. I love my career and of course, I love my dental families. You guys, the good 95% of you, are the best. Other dental offices should be envious of my patient population. A while back, I took note of those who have been with me from the start. I miscalculated. I can't believe there are more than 100 families who have been on this journey with me for 2+ decades. Some have been here longer than I have. Some moved away but still came back for their dental check-ups. Every time I see them, my heart gets lighter. When I see my young patients grow up, go to college, start a family, my heart smiles. What great adults they have become. So thank you. Thank you for being a part of my life and letting this team be a part of your life for 20+ years. We are humbled. Thank you for your support and trust in us.  We had a patient who said, "I completely trust you" as he agreed to let me rebuild his jaws as a birthday gift to myself. He helps others but is stingy on himself so he is deserving of at least one gift. And yes, he's also going on 20+ years with us. We cannot be more joyful right now. 

We went for a quick break to Vegas to kick up our heels and fill our bellies. What a great time we had. 

Goofing around and unbeknownst to us...an audience.

This month we celebrate 20 years of being your dental providers. There were definitely many changes and remodeling throughout the years. But there were also a couple of amazing people that stayed with us the whole time. Some  were even there longer than I was there. I can't begin to tell you how grateful and appreciative our team is. Not a lot of people can brag about their decades long support system. We can. 
Our core base not only stayed with us but helped us expand. They introduced us to their friends and family members. We witnessed many life events and are humbled by the sheer loyalty. We had many move away but still come back for their recall exams. Who can brag about having international patients? We can and it feels so good.
We get to see kids grow up and start their own families, babies in bellies go to college and celebrations of milestones. We also remember babysitting those babies and doing pop quizzes with them in elementary school. It was so fun.  We have this huge family that just keeps growing. We truly are so blessed. 
It feels like Bob and I grew up together in those 20 years. She took some time off to raise her daughter and when she came back, we didn't miss a beat. I guess it could also be because we were texting weekly?? She likes to tell patients the left hand knows what the right hand is doing even when we're bantering.  My husband likes to call us "an old married couple". Me, I just say I'm the nice one. My name might be on the door but she tells me where to go in the office. She's the meaner older sister. But for some reason, when patients refer a friend or co-worker, they asked to talk to her to remind me to be nice. I don't get it! J/K...I do get it...those are the decades long patients bullying me, too! Sometimes they forget to save the insults for after the appointment and not at the beginning. 
So you see, after 20 years, we still love our dental home. Our patients are family...they're hilarious. We love being more than just their dental providers. We get to hear stories, share their emotions and vent. We get gifts and souvenirs from their trips around the world, in their kitchen or garden. It is amazing to be so appreciated and loved. Therefore, we want to show our love and appreciation in return. Just know we thoroughly enjoy the witty comebacks and jokes. We can't wait to hear more. We hope you like your gifts. We wouldn't be here without you. Thank you for your trust in us.
​

We just partnered up with a new clear aligner company, SureSmile Clear Aligners. 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 $700 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.
​