About Gratitude

“Gratitude is when memory is stored in the heart and not in the mind.” Lionel Hampton

It all began one score and about a year ago.

I’d been providing Invisalign care since 2003, having been inspired by a CD recording featuring a TV dentist. On the way to whale watching in Santa Barbara and its Blue Whale lovin’ channel and for the first time in my already lengthy career, the word “Orthodontics” put a smile on my hauling-butt-up-The 101” face.

The words “Clear aligners,” an oral health terminology I’d never encountered, made it past my twin satellite dish ears, through some wax, head and shoulder juked my malleus, incus, and stapes, and somehow touched home plate in my frontal lobe…before sneaking off to my forever teenage amygdala. I was psyched!

I got certified to provide Invisalign care with breaching whales still dancing in my mind’s eye. I may have shed a tear.

For a dozen years, I walked the Invisalign continuing education land. My clinical challenges seemed unanswered; I continued moving teeth in an itsy-bitsy fashion to sidestep “Instant Orthodontics” that was something like elective selective cosmetic enamel amputation.

One eventful evening, an interesting funny guy named David Galler, from Long Island, passed through Pasadena, shared a chicken dinner at the Doubletree, showed photos of sharks swimming just beyond his porch, and shared some Invisalign tips…that worked like a charm.

My Invisalign sales reps avoided me for some reason that I assumed was personal. We finally got lucky when Territory Manager (TM) Allen took an interest in our practice; he was awesome. Allen joined us for community events and even gave us testimonials; he was a friend.

I used to kid around that everyone else in the San Gabriel valley was served by the beautiful TM Roslyn. When Allen left Align (hopefully not because of me) Roslyn arrived. And yes, it was too good to be true, Roslyn left us and Invisalign after two weeks. Do you believe in coincidences? Roslyn nominated me to take a new Invisalign course called Reingage; then she said, “See ya.”

While Roslyn was moving toward the door on that spring SoCal day in 2015, I asked about the course instructor’s name; she said “Galler.” I said, Awesome!” Meanwhile, I’d submitted a case to the Align Summit Shootout for the first time. I made it to the finals. I had attended two previous Align Summits; the first time, the experience inspired me to reach for more challenging cases. My second Summit experience led to my first ever karaoke experience…with backup singers and a full orchestra. “Friends in Low Places” never sounded so good (to me). Third time, I was on stage at the Aria Hotel preaching to about 1,200 people.

“The Course that Changed Everything” lived up to and beyond its title. I learned more about clear aligner orthodontics in two smiling out loud days than I had during the previous 12 years. Doc Galler made pre-course calls to all concerned and granted me some status as a Final Four Shootout contestant. While I was tending to some physiological necessities, I was named President of Los Aligners, the SoCal/Canadian Reingage group straight outta LA.

And eleven years later, with the greatest of ease, I can share that Dr. Galler has made a major difference in my life. After providing dental care for 46 years and being involved in dentistry for the past 50 years, I remain a grateful member of Dr. Galler’s American Academy of Clear Aligners (AACA) board of directors. I learned how to change lives with plastic and became comfortable taking some chances while always learning and becoming friends with top colleagues. I also had the chance to share quality time with my dental brothers and sisters in places like the Bahamas, Jamaica, Costa Rica, D.C., New Orleans, Dallas, and points in every which direction.

And I might’ve been robbed in that Shootout eleven years ago, but I’ve been playin’ with house money ever since.

When I sold my practice back in 2022, the new owner, my friend Kyle Low, was a previous Los Aligners first round draft pick. And he still allows me in the office to come go as I please.

Last July, I attended our final Reingage Team Retreat at the Wynn Hotel in Las Vegas, but I’ll never forget the good times we all shared in Sin City: Los Aligners winning the famous Galler Cup, sharing a cabana with two Dental Assistants (I’d adopt if I could) located between those of the NBA’s Scotty Pippen and Andre Igudala, and walking into the Wynn casino and asking LeBron, “…do you have one of these (my Galler Cup)”? I’ve visited the Sphere, not once, not twice, but three times (Mention of LeBron was inspiring). Last year, we celebrated the life of a colleague/brother who set a lasting example for us all in only 42 years. Doc Galler created a challenge for us to accept in honor of Amir: We would do something that scared/intimidated us every day for 75 consecutive days. I wrote a column every morning and made it to the finish line (I fit the commemorative ring on my index finger for a moment every morning thinking “determination” and Amir’s early morning battle cry, “LFG”!)

The older I get, the less control I have over shedding a tear. And these days, I’m more of a visitor than an active player within the inner circle of all the cool kids. But what an awesome journey I’ve had for over a decade I never saw coming.

Gratitude beats regrets every day of the week and twice on Sunday.

So, Doc Galler, thanks for the memories, the support, the leadership, your sense of humor and an awesome ride.