A May Message (to our Patients)

Happy May everyone! What’s better than a month honoring Moms? And, it’s hard comprehending this Mother’s Day as the forty-third in the history of Temple City Dental Care. Why do I still feel like I’m thirty-five?

My mom was one of the first patients who dared entering the building way back during the Carter Administration (I think we were still hanging shingles with our names on ‘em back in The Day). One of Mom’s first requests was, “Don’t hurt me…but I don’t want a shot.” I reasoned, “You and Dad didn’t sacrifice, feed, and support me to go to the Magic Castle; remember, I went to dental school.”

Well, my mom was really tough as nails; she lost her own mom when she was only a little kid, my big brother when he was just 31-years old, and my dad when he was five years younger than I am, as of this month. Mom retained her dignity and a smile throughout her journey dealing with diabetes and all its cruel personal attacks; she handled every invasion medical tests and treatment could muster with an accepting smile that said, “I’ve got this.” The greatest honor I’ve ever experienced was being Mom’s caregiver, and the health advocate for someone who’d been the source of my existence and lasting unconditional love; it was a priceless opportunity to give back…and learn.

It’s unbelievably been twenty years of Sundays and Mother’s Days without Mom, but I’m still learning. Mom really gave us our purpose, “Making a world class difference for others and making dentistry fun”; she’s the reason I see every team member and patient in the context of family. It’s also the motivation for providing Complete Health Dentistry.

A trusted mentor once advised “What you’re looking for is looking for you; so, always be looking and listening.”

We’ve begun a complete health program and you’ve probably already noticed a slightly nuanced experience during your visits. We’ll be asking permission to share a Healthy Mouth Baseline that illustrates what a healthy mouth really is; and, you might be surprised by the connections that exist between a healthy mouth, a healthy body, and a healthy life. The oral health connection with systemic concerns such as heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and obstructive sleep apnea in adults; and sleep disordered breathing in little kids during times of critical growth and development are profound and real. And together, we can make a difference

Our vision is being the face of Complete Health Dentistry in the San Gabriel valley and making 20,000 people healthy while becoming their own best health advocates by 2022. And we’ll need your help as well as the support of like-minded healthcare providers to get there. And I bet you can guess the real “Why?”

Happy May, and Happy Mother’s Day; love you guys,

Dr. V and Team