Why the Direct Resin Mockup IS Important

After thinking about a Smile Makeover for the last 5 years, you FINALLY decide that you are going to have it done. You go to a few dentist's websites and you make 2 or 3 appointments to talk to the dentist.
You also realize that you are used to looking at yourself in the mirror and see that huge space and you find it hard to imagine what you will look like with it closed.

If I was one of the dentists that you consulted with, I would perform a direct resin mockup so that you can visualize, in advance of actual treatment, whether you would like your new look. Many times when I hand my patient a mirror to see what a new smile would look like, they will say:
"It doesn't even look like me." and burst into tears of happiness.

Make your dentist step up and show his or her talents  to you before you let them treat you  so that you know what they are thinking . Both the dentist and the patient need to be on the same page with regards to treatment, expectations and outcome.

The Dean Pays Me a Visit

I refused to step inside of my dental school for the first 15 years after I graduated from SUNY/Buffalo because of how poorly the school treated the students. After almost 40 years, the majority of dentists that graduated in 1977 have refused to give any financial support to the dental school.

In 1994, I decided to forgive the sadistic treatment that my classmates and I received at the hands of the Dental School  and became involved in creating the world's first Dental Esthetic Center within a Dental School. The school became nationally recognized as "The Place" to learn about cosmetic dentistry.

The full time faculty hated the Esthetic Center and forced it to close 7 years after opening. When the Esthetic Center closed, I again withdrew from the Dental School despite being appointed Associate Clinical Professor (visiting). I have made a few visits to the school to  teach the top seniors at the request of my chairman.

This evening, the Dean of the School made a journey to Saratoga to request that I re-establish my relationship with the school. The Dean stated that he wants my expertise in restorative and cosmetic dentistry so that the students will learn  standards of Excellence.

I told him that I would have to think about this.

I Can't Believe It

Moore, Oklahoma has been struck by many tornadoes over the years including the most powerful winds every recorded on earth at 303 mph. This made me wonder why  few have storm cellars  and schools don't have basements.

I was watching Anderson Cooper this evening and  I learned the answer to my question.  Anderson asked the same question that I asked and was able to find the answer.

I hope that you are sitting down:

It is not required by law and  it would cost too much money to build a basement in a school.

ARE YOU KIDDING ME?  People need the government to pass a law to  MAKE them do the right thing?

One more thing? The people of Oklahoma don't want any government telling them what to do (like building a storm shelter) but when bad things happen, the first thing the people do is to call the Federal Government to give them money...

Am I the only one that thinks that something is wrong with the thought process of some folks?

Read about this subject in today's New York Times:
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/05/22/us/shelter-requirements-resisted-in-tornado-alley.html?pagewanted=2&hp

As one of the builders pointed out, they want demands for storm shelters and basements to come from the people and not the government. And how is that working for them?

65

Yesterday was my birthday and became 65. It is a magic number that even the government recognizes as the official start of the beginning of the end of your life. The government forced me to take a government handout  (Medicare) even though I work full time, earn a good living and would rather have remained on my previous insurance plan. I would have preferred have my own insurance and when I retired have the option of selecting Medicare if I wanted.

Well I am now in the final quarter of both my life and my professional life and to date, have few regrets which is a good thing.  I have had two surgeries in the last two years but both have healed well with little if any residual pain. Susan and I played 9 holes of golf yesterday and neither my shoulder nor my knee played any role in my lousy performance. lol

What are my goals in my final years of dentistry and life?  I want to do the best dentistry of my professional life and I want Susan and I to remain healthy and active.

Very little else really matters.