Dr. Von Bulow's Articles

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

Please accept my apologies for being such a dang grump a couple of weeks ago; my bad. Seemed like even “virtual” Coach Pete couldn’t interview me out of a bad attitude. And I even called La Polla Loca an “old broad” (means she must be less than ten years younger than me.)

So if you really do have any paid-for dental benefits available between now and the end of 2009, do take advantage of them. Why lose funds that would have helped provide better oral health, not to mention additional smiles and quality time to smell some more roses?

And please do use dental floss. Users really do live an average seven years longer and that data includes the Derby State of Kentucky (the same place that gave us “tooth” whitening and drive-thru denture franchises.)

A few things happened during the last two weeks that got me to thinking an apology was definitely in order. The experiences produced some endorphins that are nowhere to be found during spin class where my going 90mph (an estimate) on a stationary bike in a roomful of mirrors is way less euphoric than the air conditioning.

I was daily reminded about what was so special about my career choice. Wasn’t all the new gadgetry or the cool title or even working indoors with A/C listening to music or even a schedule my Dad would have considered part-time. Wasn’t even the Trojan shrine…it was the people.

I basically get to work with family I can choose and I get to make new friends every day. And all I have to do is be interested. Who wouldn’t?

It’s always fun meeting new patients and catching up with old friends because the conversation is never the same twice. Considering the vast expanse of what I don’t know I don’t know, my just being with people is a continuing, continuing education available to me 8 hours/day Monday through Thursday. Plus research shows you retain stuff better when you’re having fun so why not have fun?

Today I opened up a letter from one of our former in-service training students from PCC. Abe has sent us updates during the last three years and this time proudly announced his passing the Boards, paving the way for his chosen career as a Physician’s Assistant. I don’t think we scared him out of dentistry (maybe Singing Dental Assistant Kolleen…)

Well Abe is just the kind of person who will make a difference for folks in healthcare; he’ll save some lives and add quality to countless others…because he cares. And I’m beyond being flattered that he shared his great news (with test scores and resumé included.) One reason I start so many sentences with “so” goes back to all the questions Abe used to ask, most of them starting with “So…?”

Also received an e-mail from the daughter of one of my classmates. Inger shared she hadn’t been to the dentist since the passing of her Dad, an awesome dentist and an even more awesome guy who saved some lives by making dentures that transformed weakened, starving senior citizens into Jack LaLanne look-alikes. Inger wondered if we would accept her as a new patient. Made my month.

Next week I’ll be landing at O’Hare for the annual thumping of the Irish and I’ll have a ride into Chicago…courtesy of a great patient and friend who actually has more Trojan gear than me.

So if I come off as a grump in the future feel free to drop-kick me some feedback. “It’s the people stupid!” would be more than appropriate.

Okay, can anyone out there help me with this one? So I don’t know much about the alternative rock band “The Killers” except that their song “Human” sounds more like mainstream but that could be due to my hearing it every single day in spin class (For the uninitiated, spin class is aerobics on stationary bikes in a room full of mirrors. Really.)

“…la la la…are we human or are we dancer?” now plays in my head all day long. If it weren’t for my trusty dental drill and the loud sucking sound our vacuum makes I’d probably be borderline bruin by now.

Have you ever wanted to ask just one question of someone to clear things up? Like, did you really pay someone to sit down and write the “Five Dollar Foot Long” song? Or, why do you keep on playing those “Clipper Loud!” commercial spots (wouldn’t it be a little more merciful and human to just let the Clips slip out of town around 3AM by Greyhound?) Or, which one of you knuckleheads said, “Sarah Palin, what an awesome idea!!!”

So are we human or are we dancer? I guess if I can’t ask lead singer Brandon Flowers what in the Sam Piazza (coming soon) he’s singing about, I’ll just answer the question myself. Okay Brandster, but first I’ll just pretend you’re in my dental chair and ask, “Why dancer; why not dancers?” “Are we dancer?” sounds more like a bunch of dentists wondering if they’re a reindeer.

Anyway, I must be human because I dance sort of the way the previous City Council played nice with the School District, the Chamber, and business development.

And another one of those questions comes up. Ms. Mayor, we were actually in the movie Viola together so why can’t you guys help out the School District? If you have $37 million in reserve on a rainy day, why not hand over a measly $2 million to get the schools out of the red? Why not preserve the quality of the one local institution that’s the glue for stuff like property value and community pride? So congrats and I hope the new guys are more human than dancer.

And finally back to spin class and one last question; I’m still smiling.

So I know Woody Allen would opt for solitary confinement over lunch with an insurance agent but shucks, I like most of my insurance guys and Woody never met Alvin.

I totally respect the insurance business; to prove it, I’ve been paying them through the nose for around thirty years. And I never even knew Alvin from the gym was in the premium game until he started groaning away about some recent dental care. I think his words were, “Wow, you guys really run a scam.” Turns out, Alvin had had root canal care from a specialist and was now having a crown made to protect the treated tooth. Alvin smelled conspiracy.

“So Alvin, you wouldn’t have an internist do your bypass would you?” “

Jack, you’re the fastest spinner on the planet so you’ll understand I’ve used up all my benefits on one tooth. I actually had to pay out of pocket (whimper.)”

“So Alvin, what do you do anyway?” “I’m in insurance.”

“So Secret Agent Alvin, did you know annual maximum benefits for premium payers are basically the same now as they were in 1970? Wonder who set up that scam?”

I’m still smiling. Even though I’m still hearing “…or are we dancer?” And the answer is: Yes, if you sell dental insurance.

When I met with A Few Words from the Chair author/patient spokesperson David Clow, he observed a typical dental experience could be all about clinical smiles while no actual smiling was going on. It was often like, for the lack of a friendly, human smile, a smile was lost. And what about the smile from within?

A great example from David Clow’s book is the transcendent smile on the face of the Buddha. And how can you help but wonder about the health and happiness on the inside creating such an expressive result on the outside? Turns out, some traditional Eastern meditation exercises are designed to cultivate an inner smile. Buddhists and Taoists teach smiling is good medicine (I’d like to see some of those exercises turn up as Continuing Ed for dental school faculty.)

Clow quotes Buddhist master Thich Nhat Hanh, explaining, “Sometimes your joy is the source of your smile and sometimes your smile can be the source of your joy.”

About a month ago when I met new patient Martha, she was upset, depressed, and frustrated. And she was sobbing. Martha was basically being held captive by a smile she wouldn’t, or couldn’t, share. I remember sitting down and having a conversation. Martha did most of the talking; I did most of the listening. Seemed like the best care we could offer that first day was a friendly ear and equal doses of understanding and reassurance. Martha could have been my daughter.

So I’ve yet to experience an official endorphin that I know of during spin class. And shucks, if I could restore smiles like Martha’s every other day and not even twice on Sunday I probably wouldn’t have to exercise at all.

Martha later shared that on leaving the office with her new smile she pulled over to the side of Las Tunas, glanced up into the rear view mirror and cried…from relief and joy. And the smile we get to see today is a great match for the beautiful person we met on Day One.

I also used to wonder about “Family” dentistry. Like, was the alternative “Hot Singles” dentistry or even worse, “Disco” dentistry? But today, I think I finally understand; I get it. And what is family dentistry if not a loving network of smiles from within?

So I’ve been a Celtics diehard since I was a little kid. And that takes me way back to the good ole days when Bill Russell and Bob Cousy used to use and abuse the Lakers on a yearly basis. Kobe Bean Bryant wasn’t even a glimmer.

You’d think somewhere along the school days line some big ugly Lakers bully would have set me straight. But since “Lakers” and “bully” are close cousins to military intelligence and bruin football and my probably adopted DNA includes a deep streak of sneakiness, nothing happened.

Last week, OM Dalila and I hopped on an early AM flight to Bean Town. We were hoping to learn a few things about internal practice systems, Little Italy, and small business strategies for a challenging economy (you’d think setting up shop on Las Tunas would have taught us that lesson long ago.) We battled through LAX and said goodbye to Dr. Tooth from 28,000 feet.

By the time we got to Phoenix, fellow Friendly Skies traveler Marilyn said hello, shortly followed by, “Why would anyone wanna be a dentist?”

So I hate myself when I knee-jerk a wiseacre proctologist/podiatrist comparison. And Marilyn had a soft, warm, inviting voice so I went about explaining why I love my career.

Folks really don’t answer a calling or live passionately because they fix pieces of anatomy or really understand human body zip codes. Learning, perfecting the implementation of knowledge, and sharing it is pretty exciting stuff; even comprising some of the tastiest spices of life. And gaining results that weren’t even on the radar when my parents were my age? Wow.

But pie hole, culo, or size 11s, the real reward and fulfillment comes from giving out some human gifts…like discovery, hope, and renewal. Transforming quality of life and building lasting relationships in the process is way bigger than any small business. And, it’s addictive.

So when I looked at Marilyn I was reminded of one lovely lady who got out of the house and drove somewhere alone for the first time in twenty years because she finally felt so comfortable going to the dentist (I think Singing Dental Assistant Kolleen came back with the Martinelli’s.) I thought about all the trusting folks who would live longer, happier lives just because they loved our hygienists. And I remembered a beautiful young woman who shared a full out, no holds barred smile…for the first time since 2nd Grade.

Sometimes it’s the journey. Einstein said, “Out of difficulty comes opportunity.” Especially when you’re looking for it.

So what I learned on the way to Boston and what I took away from some 30 hours of my continuing, continuing education was this: We may have absolutely no control over stuff like the U.S. economy but we are totally in control of being responsible for the choices we make and the opportunities we find.

And for patient and practitioner alike, why not be happy about both?

So this weekend there was so much positive stuff going on I almost couldn’t believe it. Up until, “The envelope…please.”

Thursday (the new Friday) got things rolling with Twin Tower of Hygiene Jen and me attending a Pete Carroll Circle of Friends event at LA Live’s Lucky Strike. And if you’re starved for inspiration, I suggest sharing some time with folks who’re committed to transforming young lives often found in the “presumed lost” column. Coach Pete might be the highest paid educator in The Land and what’s the going price for hope?

Yesterday, I met with author David Clow. David’s journalism has appeared in national, local, business and scientific publications. His corporate communications have served Fortune 100 market leaders. David has written a documentary film series Understanding Cities and co-authored a novel Six Lessons for Six Sons. Last week, I opened a package to find David’s latest work A Few Words from the Chair. The book provides an eloquent human insight into what’s missing and the miracle of what’s possible out of the dental “caring” experience. The book needs to be required reading for dental students and graduates, period. And in his note, David actually admitted to admiring my stuff.

And tonight, if I can get my already over-sized head through the door, my TCDC gang and 200 or so close friends will be rolling out to Rancho Cucamonga for our eighth annual Oral Cancer Awareness Night at the Ballpark. If you can find something better to do than hang out with your buddies and share about life saving opportunities that are as easy as a trip to the dentist, let’s get in touch soon.

And then…I opened the mail. First up: the Stage Coach.

I guess I’m just a “bad news first” kind of guy. And more often than not these days, banks’ copy seems to occupy my negative leadoff spot. I’m a little intrigued and puzzled when the institutions we trust with our life hopes and dreams take on a casual regard for responsibility but retain the role of judge and jury over our businesses. Lately, the relationship has almost been the equivalent of our turning over the keys to the family car to a mechanic wearing a mask and carrying a gun.

So when I opened the Wells Fargo envelope I saw a certain VP named Ms. Sheri Wofford had cut my business card limit. Now I guess Ms. Wofford was just doing her job and she must be pretty busy these days because she’s apparently been forced to relinquish her phone number and e-mail address.

And when I can’t speak or write to folks covered by the WF Witness Protection Program, I start wondering. I wondered how my balance that wasn’t close to the limit or my payments that were exponentially more than the minimum posed a threat to the Stage Coach. I wondered how my retaining full employment and benefits with no salary cuts was endangering the economy. Couldn’t help but wonder if Wells Fargo was doing as well as TCDC; wondered if Ms. Wofford was surrounded by happy co-workers and had been on the job for the last 33 years.

Every practice management consultant I’ve met has advised against my being “the bank.” But in the interest of helping my patients live long healthy lives and in the absence of a human banking institution that deserves any trust at all, I politely disagree.

Tomorrow is Father’s Day and my Dad always suggested, “If you can’t say anything nice…” Sorry Dad, just this once:

“Dear Ms. Wofford and the Wells Fargo Gang,

To paraphrase Mr. Bart Simpson, hope you don’t choke on my shorts.

Your faithful small business servant,

JVB…or #2468”

Not that long ago I found myself sitting on the Board of Directors for no less than five different non-profit organizations, including Haven House in Pasadena. Funny thing, my sitting happened almost overnight. Another funny thing; I had no idea what was expected of Board members.

I’d taken on a program outside of dentistry on the advice of a trusted friend and mentor. And what started out as my opportunity to share time with folks who really needed to get their act together turned out being transformative for yours truly. Shucks, don’t think I’ve been quite the same ever since.

Okay, so maybe you’re thinking I must have hit my head in spin class and woke up as Zen Master JVB? But what really happened is after 20 years or so of talk, I finally went to Italy. And, I joined the Board at Haven House in Pasadena.

And I couldn’t be more proud of my affiliation with Haven House. The folks there committed to the everyday success of the organization are Golden. Not only is Haven House a safe place, it’s a place that saves generations.

Haven House, founded in 1964, is indeed the first shelter for victims of domestic violence established in the United States. And the shelter is the model for all similar organizations that have followed.

Domestic violence is shockingly pervasive in our society; even more so during uncertain economic times. In fact, some 31% of American women report being physically or sexually abused by their husband or boyfriend at some time during their lives. 25% of workplace problems such as absenteeism, low productivity, turnover, and excessive use of medical benefits are due to domestic violence. Boys who witness their father’s violence are ten times more likely to become domestic violence perpetrators.

As I’m writing, the shelter is filled to capacity but Haven House is way more than a hotel for unbelievably courageous Moms and children bold enough to break a generational pattern of fear. Haven House also maintains a Children’s Program, two Outreach Programs, and presents “Domestic Violence in the Workplace” (the presentation really hit home when I discovered members of the TCDC crew had experienced domestic violence.)

In the current economic environment, Haven House and the other 105 shelters in California face some dire challenges; one of which is the Governor’s decision to eliminate all state funding for domestic violence shelters.

If you’ve ever wanted to make a difference and life seems to always be getting in the way, making a difference for Haven House families could be as transformative for you as it has been for me. A local treasure like Haven House should not only survive, it should continue to lead. And why not be a part of something as fulfilling as saving families and the generations that follow?

If you’d like to help, please contact Haven House at (626) 564 8880. You can also call me at (626) 283 5504.

Please look for an upcoming Haven House event supported by Temple City Dental Care on Saturday morning, September 12. Beautiful Breakthru Fitness will host the event. Breakthru is located at 345 South Lake Ave, Suite 201 (right next to Trader Joe’s.) It would be a great time to learn more about Haven House. Please come by and say hello. You can also take an outdoor spin class for a Haven House donation (I’ll match it.)

Within my very first few months of treating patients with Invisalign, something happened that I’d never forget. I saw someone’s life change and I had a front row seat.

I think of Diana every single time we begin Invisalign Care. And there are numerous reasons.

Forget that I never really liked Orthodontics when I was a student and therefore never saw straightening teeth as part of my clinical future. But I’ll be the first guy to admit receiving orthodontic care changed my life. Back in The Day, I just didn’t see me on the giving side of the proposition.

I actually used to cover my mouth with my hand when I was speaking. If early patients didn’t have canine-type reception, hearing Bolton was easier for them than understanding me. So I started my practice here in Temple City as the expressive dentist equivalent of a flabby personal trainer or a food critic who counted catsup as a vegetable.

By the time Invisalign came along (Originally the work of two MBA candidates at Stanford) I was way more than seriously curious about all the new clinical advances in dentistry. The office was loaded with cameras and computers and lasers…and I still felt a little threatened by the dental engineering also known as Orthodontics. Finally, I figured if two non-DDS types had dreamed up the system, there might actually be something to it. I gained certification as soon as GPs became eligible for training.

I met Diana at a Pasadena Chamber breakfast. I love Chamber functions because the folks who attend are such dedicated networkers they don’t even run away screaming when you tell ’em you’re a dentist.

Diana won a free TCDC Zoom! Teeth Whitening in the raffle held at the end of every monthly breakfast. After a while, she made the drive down Baldwin and within an hour or so had a smile about 5 shades lighter. After folks visit us and walk away with whiter teeth I’m more likely emboldened to ask a few questions. One question is, “Do you have any other concerns about your smile?” This time the answer was, “I know darn well you’re looking at it.”

Diana had had great whitening results and everything was looking good…with the exception of one badly discolored upper front tooth that was also sticking out at an angle not much unlike Sarah Brightman taking a curtain call in front of the rest of the lined-up cast of The Phantom.

Diana helped head up a local non-profit, her children were all grown up, her family had always come first; you’ll never meet warmer person. On Zoom! Day, plus 10 minutes, Diana shared she’d hated that tooth for at least 40 years. She never smiled without posturing to hide the tooth, hated having her picture taken, and subconsciously screened her mouth from sight, using her hand as a prop. Hmmm, been there.

Diana had heard all about Orthodontics but didn’t want braces. “What if we straightened that tooth without using braces and matched colors by placing a porcelain veneer without removing more than about 0.5 millimeters of enamel? Would you be interested?”

“Can you do all the work here?”

“Would you prefer that?”

I still attend the monthly Pasadena Chamber breakfasts. The scrambled eggs continue to need some work; there are more chiropractors present than dentists in the state of Nebraska, and the guy who leads the meeting is an unapologetic bruin honk (poor devil.) And the whole experience is a total blast.

Especially when Diana delivers her 20-second commercial with a big, beautiful freely expressed smile.

So maybe I’m a little sensitive about another birthday, okay?  But what’s the big deal with questions like “Is this one special?” or “How old are you now anyway?”   I wanna know how my vital stats make a world-class difference for others?  And even if they did, what’s in it for me?

I’ll tell ya right now, if any of you are VP Cheney rude enough to ask, you’ll get a lie in response.  And it’s your own dang fault.  Any questions?

Sometimes nature has an over-underestimated sense of humor and there you have my long overdue tribute to President Dubya.  Yeah, if son of Big George and I were both 75, we’d look pretty good for our age.  But there are some telltale Nature jokes/subtleties that give us away and make our old beat-up classmates feel totally better about themselves.

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I’ve always been kind of amused by ads that emphasize “cosmetic” restorative dentistry.  Restorative dentistry does what it says it does; it restores what’s been broken down or lost.  The parameters range from a filling to an entire dentition.  But shucks, unless we have way more vision than we really need, most molar jockeys use nature as our guide and work at mimicking what looks right.

So hopefully, we all do cosmetic dentistry.  The alternative would be dentistry that looks like the bruins on offense.  I don’t think so.

What’s really exciting about the way we do things these days is the distinction between getting a flat tire on your new ride and tooling around town on one of those funny little donut spares, as opposed to matching the three surviving tires and having the car detailed.

Dentistry today is more about the big picture; it’s comprehensive and built on long-term relationships.  It isn’t about fixing a flat; it’s more like keeping the car looking good and running well for 200,000 miles 

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