When this patient came in, he was already in pain and angry. The pain has become so unbearable that his personality has changed. He was aggressive and short with his answers. It was a rough first impression. But once we removed the tooth, he was a changed man. So happy he was anesthetized, the offending infected tooth was removed, and he didn't realized it came out. Look at the roots on this one...they hooked onto the bone, making it a complicated extraction. So this is one of our trophies in the office. We were relieved when it came out in one piece as the patient had a hard time opening his mouth for us.
Happy Lunar 2023. I was looking for a dress to wear to a wedding and saw this on Nordstrom.com. It is so great. I've been saying Lunar instead of Chinese New Year because Vietnamese celebrate it too. But in Vietnam, the animal is a cat, not a rabbit. So to see it on Nordstrom website, it was a tickle. After all these decades, I didn't think I would see it but here it is...Nordstrom just sold me 2 dresses.
Just when we thought the pandemic will end in 2021, it continues into 2023 with a new virus, new super infection and "tripledemic". More than a million people have died. But millions of people have also started a new life with mass resignations. It seems like wherever there is disaster, there is also hope. We met a lot of challenges this year. We also accomplished more goals. We ultimately grew as an office and as clinicians. We devoted ourselves to learning more and being able to do more. We made some big decisions and lots of little ones, too. We are contributing less to the chopping of trees but more to the planting of trees. We will continue to do our part and look for ways to lower our carbon footprint. We got more involved with the community through our volunteer services and organizations. We were not able to donate toothbrushes like we usually do. Apparently, there is a shortage of toothbrushes from our supplier for months now. Dentistry is a great profession to be in. It's a mixture of science and finances, together with leadership and social service. Today, it's also one of the most expensive schooling to attain. Some students owe up to $600+K after graduation. There are so many things wrong with that. Medical students owe less upon completion of their training but makes more. Dental insurance companies pays less and less with time while medical insurances pays more. The irony is that the oral health correlates with the overall health: heart, lungs, bone, vision, hearing, fetal health, etc. If your mouth is infected chronically because you can't afford dental care, your overall health is affected. We need to think less about capitalism and the "me" mentality and focus on the health of the community. If the community can't come together, we will see more homelessness, drugs/alcohol abuse, individual mental health issues, suicide/homicide, and more on the rise making our own environment unsafe and sad. Maybe it's my aging mind that I do believe our happiness is connected to our environment: people, places and things. So let's try to be kinder and nicer to each other. Judge less and keep quiet even when you want to scream. The other person may be having a rougher day than you are. But please do scream before you explode. The medical community said cursing lessen the pain when you injure yourself. Here's to a new year, clean slate and continual work on ourselves to be a better person to the world. "V" is for Vu...a gift from one of my dental sisters. :-)
Everyone has opinions.You can state yours but remember to let others state theirs too. More importantly, opinions are not necessarily facts. So don't get into arguments with others for differences of opinions. Lately, I've been listening to a lot of different opinions.
Case 1: Following OSHA guidelines in regards to disposing sharp objects is not an opinion but facts. It doesn't matter how long you've been practicing it incorrectly. You're wrong. Case 2: Telling a patient fixing occlusion cannot be done. That is an opinion, not facts. Just because one person cannot do it, it doesn't mean another person cannot as well. When you don't know, you don't know. You cannot treat if the diagnosis is incorrect or you don't know how to diagnose properly. That may be "your fact" because of your limitations but your facts can be rebutted. Someone else may be able to do it. Finding the right doctor is key. Case 3: If you think going to an HMO office will give you the same service as going to PPO or out-of-network office, you are entitled to your opinion. But the majority of people who have worked in those offices will disagree with you. It's like buying name brands. The LV or cheap purse will store the same things. It is a matter of importance to you: esthetics and confidence. My patient tells me she spent $15K on a purse because it makes her feel powerful. I didn't disagree. I don't know that feeling because my power comes from being able to explain things better to people who disagree with me. But to her, that confidence allow her to talk to others more comfortably. Each of these cases tested my patience as the first two were from my own colleagues. Dentistry borrowed a joke from another industry: 3 dentists can give you 5 different opinions regarding treatment. We can all have different views of the same problem. We just need to remember not to judge another without understanding their point of view. This weekend, I volunteered for the Convoy of Hope, an organization that travels around the country to give communities a day of hope. They provide free medical, dental, vision exam and treatment. During the event, participants receive free groceries, shoes, job resources, help with resume writing, breast cancer consultation, food (Chick-Fil-A sandwiches, chips, cookies, fruits), drinks, entertainment, games, new backpacks filled with school supplies, and so much more. It is a wonderful service to help local families with food shortage and students with school supplies. Everyone was welcomed. Each child received a free pair of new shoes while each families received 2 bags of groceries. Those who signed up for dental service received free exams, x-rays, cleanings, fillings and extractions. The lines were long but we had over 20 dentists, 4 hygienists, 12 dental assistants, and 30 young community volunteers to help move things along. Our own assistant, Khrysha came to help. The pre-dental and dental students came out in force as well. I was so proud to see a lot of the same faces that volunteered years earlier.
I met my partner at 8 am as we both headed to the same chair for triage. She had the loupe light to do the exam so she said, "I will be your light”. Somehow between the two of us with our limited Spanish, we were able to examine about 80 patients in 5 hours, comprende? When she realized I was managing the flow of the clinic, she said she was partnered up with the wrong person because she was working too hard. Then she said she had such a wonderful time and felt so good about giving back to the community. Everyone there was eager to help and willing to step up. There was a warm fuzzy feeling felt by all. By the end of the day, we were all exhausted but still jovial. Our good deed for the weekend was done. Patients walked out of the clinic with less pain and a grateful heart for the services received. We gave every leftover item we had to those who were there to receive. This organization, along with all the donors, sponsors, and volunteers changed thousands of families’ lives in just one day. I wish there were more of these events to lessen the burdens of our neighbors more often. But any amount of kindness will do. A huge thank you to all the people who helped made this event a big success. Your involvement changed lives. |
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