Dr. Von Bulow's Articles

So here’s the thing; when DDS-types like me start yammering around in dentalese right in front of patients, that’s bad enough.  But when we minimize disease and then go extreme on describing the proper care, that’s just plain stupid.

I’ve seen the dentalese approach practically put folks into a deep trance.  Patients just sit there absently nodding with eyelids aflutter hoping somehow I’ll finally stop verbalizing so they can escape.  But these days my dental assistants do a good job keeping me on track (Singing Dental Assistant Kolleen just points to her watch while Dental Assistant Extraordinaire Dani prefers a more dramatic Sicilian hand gesture.)  And I guess if I hired on assistants to support me in every aspect of life I’d have more friends and fewer broken tennis rackets.  But I digress.

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So last week I returned from an amazing annual dental conference experience and I couldn’t help but notice how much more inspiring those things are when a bunch of dentists aren’t doing all the talking.  And that’s one reason why I’m writing.

It’s a curious time when there are zero cab lines at McCarran Airport in Vegas but two parking tickets on my windshield at LAX.  Guess it would help if my ultimate vehicle had a spot for a license plate up front but two citations in a parked car seems excessive (unless the plates also serve as my mailing address.)  Anyway, if the LAPD is set on pumping my money out of the economy at $70 a pop these days, it’s back to Ontario, even if I get to see Sacramento on the way to Sin City and other destinations now unknown.

But for dental patients and even the 50% of you that stay away, now may be the best time ever to invest in your oral health and travel non-stop to the dentist.  And I’m saying this before I’ve paid my bills and after I’ve written my side of our annual team member growth conferences, so I’m about as objective as I’m gonna get.

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