Dr. Von Bulow's Articles

So I realize I’m now a candidate for the Schick Center program helping out molar jockeys who can’t stop talking about Invisalign. And lately, most of the beautiful on-the-inside and/or on-the-outside women I’ve hung out with away from my TCDC home, have been…well…more or less…invisible.

Yeah, I took another Certification II advanced Invisalign course last Friday and sometimes Chicago seems a lot closer than Costa Mesa. I got wasted on sports-talk radio on the looong early morning drive down to the OC and by the time I turned around for the grim journey home even the sports-talk guys were pretty much sports-talked out.

The PM sports jocks moved onto to some social topics that kept me safely interested and alert while I was averaging about 15mph through outposts like Tustin, Placentia, and Fullerton. And relationship talk can get fairly hazardous in the company of women but there’s basically no risk attached to that kind of conversation among a bunch of primitive chronic sports fan types.

The topic was “Why wouldn’t you call her back after the first date?” And since I was in the privacy of my own slow speed chase-mobile on the road to nowhere and I had the shades on disguising the bloodhound eyelids that just don’t go with the words “first” and “date”, I actively listened in.

There were the usual Seinfeld variations such as “She used to go out with Newman!” or “I’m in the unfortunate position of having to consider other people’s feelings.” And there were others like “She wouldn’t talk” (really) or “She wouldn’t stop talking” or “She smoked” or “She wouldn’t stop talking…about her Ex or her cat,” or “she laughs like hyena” and yada…yada…yada. And of course, none of those embarrassing Neanderthal excuses apply to yours truly.

But then the old single radio guy threw in, “Needy does it every time.” And hey, I get it…totally. Needy and selfish (me) are sort of like oil and water, or Palin and foreign policy (or Katie Couric), or bruin and football; they just don’t mix.

But then the old guy went a little deeper; “If any woman is that crazy about me after just one date, I figure there’s gotta be something wrong with her.”

Suddenly, I was back at the Hilton in Costa Mesa and you’ll probably never move me outa the back row again and it’s not that dangerous going back in time when you’re only movin 5mph up The 57.

So Invisalign has helped make beautiful smiles for some 1.6 million folks who’d have probably never opted for metal braces and even though the approach is the most awesome dental innovation I’ve ever seen, it’s getting exponentially even better. Aside from making cock-eyed smiles beautiful, Invisalign goes a long way in helping mouths function effectively while also restoring the natural self-cleansing nature of properly aligned teeth.

We’ve actually provided Invisalign for folks who were so high risk regarding tooth decay and gum disease that traditional braces would have probably caused some tooth loss. So if you want straighter teeth, just ask. Straight teeth also mean improved oral health.

Anyway, after staking out a spot in the back of the conference room, three of the hottest molar jockettes I’ve ever seen sat down in the row right in front of me. And it’s a shame they were all so freakin needy…in my dreams.

Seemed like I just blinked and next thing you know I was cruisin’ through Diamond Bar at a brisk 30mph pace…and channeling George Costanza. And if awesome lady DDSs are gonna travel in packs because they need to learn more about Invisalign, then I’m committing my continuing education efforts to the needy.

Ask about Invisalign. And you can call any time.

For the longest time, our practice has looked for role models.

Please allow me to introduce Rosemary Children’s Services.

Thing is, we’ve actually had field trips that were all about our understanding the way some folks relate to people effectively and then manage to make a difference providing a service. And sometimes the models are closer to home than you’d think.

We’ve traveled up to Seattle to hang out with the fishmongers over at World Famous Pike Place Fish (twice.) Turns out, the outrageously successful business became World Famous out of some desperate financial straits simply because the boys declared it.

Being World Famous isn’t about marketing (the Pike Place Fish website is the marketing.) Being World famous is more about behavior; it’s like, “How did I interact with that customer who bought the halibut? Was I being World Famous?”

So I’ve never exactly been what you’d call a quick study but I think I’m starting to get it. I’m noticing some stuff that’s starting to make sense about what it takes to do things the great way.

A few months ago, I attended Rosemary Children’s Services’ amazing “An Evening with Star Chefs” over at Santa Anita Racetrack. And I’ve been schooled at the track on several occasions in the past but not like this.

Pasadena’s Rosemary Children’s Services (RCS) has been an advocate for at-risk children for some 90 years. Major event sponsor Wells Fargo seemed to capture the essence of the organization on the back cover of my “Chefs” program with “When a group of people comes along who have the courage and vision to turn dreams into reality, they make the future brighter for everyone.” What I’ve taken away from my newer than new experience as a Rosemary board member, is the organization has had the courage to take on even more; they’ve had to make the dreams possible.

Rosemary children can have lives beginning with neglect at home, continuing under the supervision of the Social Services Agency, followed with an eventual placement in a RCS Certified Foster Home. Behavioral challenges can basically be anything you choose to put under the heading, “Anti-social.” At my board interview, Executive Director, CEO, Greg Wessels asked me if I’d had any experience regarding mental health. Even though I’m sure dentists are asked this question many times, all I could manage was an audible gulp.

Since 1920, RCS has grown from a single residence serving 11 girls to a full-service agency yearly impacting some 450 boys and girls in crisis. Rosemary has created a chance for dreams for thousands of youth and their families through its Residential, Mental Health, Foster family and Adoption, and Traditional Housing Programs, plus its Non-Public School. And during the past two years of economic uncertainty, RCS has thrived.

It occurred to me organizations like Rosemary Children’s Services not only focus on the people they serve, they are actually a stand for them. When I interviewed RCS’ Board President and 15-year volunteer Simms Teramoto, it was more like listening to a parent than a board member. And the organization plays big, thinks independently and thrives within the economy they can control.

These days, the fishmongers at World Famous Pike Place Fish actually travel nationwide, presenting teambuilding to the likes of Wells Fargo, Harley Davidson, the Mayo Clinic, and the U.S. Army.

What we can learn from Rosemary Children’s Services would seem to be so rare in the traditional business world that having “it” and being World Famous would seem a logical distinction.

So here’s to World Famous Rosemary Children’s Services!

And thanks for the education.

More information about Rosemary Children’s Services at www.rosemarychildren.org

So a while ago two of my favorite people in the world had a very difficult span of seven days.

One of the kindest, most caring young ladies I’ve ever known had to work full-time with demanding and always improvising yours truly, doing a job usually reserved for the two best in the business. And she was the lucky one.

My two dental assistants Kolleen and Dani are Golden. For starters, I’d love to call ‘em my daughters; it’s just that I don’t quite have enough “thoughtful” and “always pleasant” DNA to make the claim stick. Some folks can only fantasize about working together with friends they love. I guess the idea is familiarity will breed some sort of sense of entitlement or worse yet, contempt.

All I can say is for me, the last seven or so years have been more about greater and greater respect and appreciation and…I might as well just come out and admit it, love.

So Kolleen and Dani are sticklers for detail; they require organization and predictable systems just to breathe. And you have to admire their chutzpah for choosing to be Radars O’Reilly to my Colonel Blake with an inner ear infection.

Both of my dental assistants keep me on track, relate to patients on “Hello” and anticipate way better than Pete Carroll can sniff out incoming NCAA violations and penalties.

The two women with whom I spend extended weekdays couldn’t be insincere if their lives depended on it. When I see them interact with folks generous enough to honor us with their trust and loyalty, I know we’re family. If they seem for the moment cynical or sarcastic, I know their just coaching me to a wake-up call. I’ve never seen two lovelier smiles.

If you show up every day and perform a task and you’re compensated for your time and effort, you’ve got a job. If on sight, your co-workers bring a smile and “Good morning” hits warmly like a shot of Tequila, you have yourself a career.

Funny how I used to feel safe and sound when my parents were under the same roof. Funny because whenever either Kolleen or Dani are away, I start looking for my TCDC “security blanket.”

And to think I once figured great dental assistants had awesome technical abilities and great verbal skills, plus the kind of initiative that was more mythical than the Trojan horse toolin’ down Las Tunas? Kolleen and Dani are so much more.

My two dental assistants are human in only the greatest sense of the word; they’re compassionate in the universal sense of the word. Kolleen and Dani are understanding enough to have only walked out on me once. And I deserved the life lesson learned. Thanks again Dani.

And I just can’t seem to lose the image of Dani crying one morning recently. And I’m not so sure I should.

Kolleen took over the assisting duties for a week because Dani’s family at home really needed her. One of twelve siblings had lost a brief, cruel battle with cancer at far too young an age. And just like at the office, Dani was the eloquent source of strength I’ve come to respect, admire, and love so much.

If I close my eyes, I can still see Dani reacting to a sister’s sentimental favorite song and kids asking for their Nana. I know from experience Dani’s hurt and tears will always be there, maybe hidden a little more under the surface as time goes by.

And that sad morning still brings a twinge when I think back at it. And so does the love.

So as I was unsuccessfully trying to maneuver a driver-friendly route from Pasadena to what used to be downtown Temple City on a Friday afternoon, I noticed I’d aged. And maybe not much like a fine Barolo.

Got me to thinking and trust me, sometimes hooking up a few synapses and building a legit thought can be hard work. If you don’t believe me, just search George W. Bush malapropisms and you’ll find 15,200 examples. One of my favorites: “The police are not here to create disorder; they’re here to preserve disorder…”

Don’t know about you guys but it seems my patience on the road wears thinner faster these days. And if the cops are here to preserve disorder they seem to be doing one heck of job on Rosemead Blvd.

Yeah, it finally hit me I just might be getting old when I started hating a street. I said it out loud, “I hate Rosemead.” And it felt good too. And remember, within the most sophisticated dental continuing education circles, I’m known as Smilin’ Jack.

If I’d even thought of using the word “hate” when I was a kid (under 30; okay, 40) my Mom would’ve washed my mouth out with soap and I don’t mean un-fluoridated toothpaste. Seemed like it was time for some serious self-evaluation.

So I thought I was sick and tired of Sarah Palin, Dancing with the Stars (with Palin’s skanky kid this season), Wannabe Wang, and Old Hypocrite Pete Carroll. And I’ll throw in any tunes screeched out by Michael Bolton or whimpered out by James Blount. Okay, and let’s add any cutesy songs by Michael Buble, retirement parties for Bret Favre, and all the cigarette butts some jackass leaves behind our building every morning.

But what really gets my eyes rollin’ back in their sockets is forever ground-under-repair, dirt flyin’-in-the-air, slower-than-petrified molasses, freakin Rosemead. From the shifting pile of dirt aka The Piazza (coming soon) to the clogged two-lane artery north of Huntington “I ha-, I mean I’m challenged by Rosemead.”

And I do hate Salmonella, E. Coli., the Tijuana trots, and Wells Fargo so maybe it’s not as bad as I thought. Maybe I just can’t adapt to the sight of Rosemead anymore. There, that’s a little more positive, huh? It’s like Tommy Bahama flower shirts and Dockers; if I show up with that combo, don’t shoot me. Just run over and hose me down with some Tabasco or Dunn Edwards until I skulk out and away to the closest yard sale and a new wardrobe.

And there it is. I just had a full out argument in print, debating the merits of hatred over an inanimate object when it’s really just a preference I’m talking about…to myself. Good grief, I bet I was even wearing that mean looking hawk-like scowl I’ve seen permanently etched on some old folks who never smile back (and I bet they watch Fox and Dancing with the Stars.)

So maybe that’s why the old guys (USC class of ’51) I played Friday golf with over at Santa Anita asked me if I was still working? They also worried that I’d be okay carrying my clubs with the sun out and all; I was just waiting for ‘em to ask me if I knew Dr. G. V. Black, the guy who invented the foot-driven dental drill. Later that same day at my fav Pasadena restaurant, a little cutey offered to buy me a glass of wine…just before she respectfully referred to me as her elder. Ugh.

So here’s what I’m gonna do. I’m embracing Rosemead. And I’m savoring all the time I get to spend smelling the roses (and other stuff too), appreciating other viewpoints (on talk-radio), and developing my own smile from within; hear that kind of thing keeps you young.

I love Rosemead. Really.