So, believe it or not, this is my third book. I’ve written a weekly column for local rags since 1998. And prior to my early monthly spots for our local Chamber publication, I can honestly confess I never saw twenty years of published writing coming.
For the last twenty years, family has remained my story, my mission, and my passion. Every day has been all about learning, growing, and doing my best to honor my family, my dental team, and every patient we serve and see as our mom, dad, brother, sister, or child. You’ll notice my writing is very personal and opinionated, even though for the most part it looks at dentistry, health, and relationships from the lighter side. The book is comprised of stories I’ve written for our local online and hard copy newspapers. When I reread the pieces during the publishing process, it seemed like there was always a sentence or two that touched my feelings.
You’ll read about my team because they’ve become my family. You’ll read about sports because those stories take me back to my mom, dad, brother, and the childhood I wouldn’t trade for the world. You’ll get virtual interviews with the Dalai Lama, politics, and my takes on pop culture. Sometimes the connection to health will be obvious; there are other times when you might need to use your imagination.
Every day I vow to be powerful, positive, and fearless and I warn you; some days I fail and sometimes I overdo it. After practicing dentistry for over 40-years, I can still reach par-5s in two and roll the wheels off stationary bikes. But I was never that flexible and Dental Assistants Kolleen and Dani have occasionally inferred my filter has become slightly more transparent.
I hope you enjoy the stories. I guess my theme is visits to the dentist can be a little scary but we’re intent on listening, understanding, and being interested. We want you to feel safe and we want to help you become your own best healthcare advocate. We’re on your side. We like you. We want the best for you.
Why not practice effective business, healthcare, and dentistry within a culture of love, humor, and compassion?
Inhoudsopgave
Introduction ix
Chapter One: No Problem in Paradise 1
Chapter Two: All in the Family 5
Chapter Three: Long Distance, Calling the Universe 9
Chapter Four: Buon Natale 13
Chapter Five: Choices 17
Chapter Six: Prolly 21
Chapter Seven: Big Night in a Desert Town 25
Chapter Eight: Not Really a Hater, but… 29
Chapter Nine: Spring Break 33
Chapter Ten: Affordable Care…but Do They? 37
Chapter Eleven: Scared Straight 41
Chapter Twelve: Hidden Figures 45
Chapter Thirteen: La La Land 49
Chapter Fourteen: Smelling the Roses 53
Chapter Fifteen: Sometimes Maybe It’s Better Just Being Lucky 57
Chapter Sixteen: Hallelujah 61
Chapter Seventeen: Winners Never Quit 65
Chapter Eighteen: Christopher 69
Chapter Nineteen: Imagine 73
Chapter Twenty: F-Word Declared Obsolete by Brits…but There’s More 77
Chapter Twenty-one: White Like Me? Or…Strange Encounters of the Facebook Kind 81
Chapter Twenty-two: Help Wanted: Trouble in Paradise 85
Chapter Twenty-three: Tutus, Pies, and Quakes 89
Chapter Twenty-four: Happy Birthday for a Hero 93
Chapter Twenty-five: Mom… 97
Chapter Twenty-six: Beating the Fear Factor 99
Chapter Twenty-seven: Let’s Go, Celtics 101
Chapter Twenty-eight: He’s the Most Interesting Dentist in the World 105
Chapter Twenty-nine: A True MVP 109
Chapter Thirty: The Wrong Open Spot at the Bar 113
Chapter Thirty-one: Leading From the Heart 117
Chapter Thirty-two: Table for Three 121
Chapter Thirty-three: “…If You Just Smile” 125
Chapter Thirty-four: Father’s Day 129
Chapter Thirty-five: Oral Cancer Strikes Out 133
Chapter Thirty-six: The Real 12th Man 137
Chapter Thirty-seven: Movin’ On 141
Chapter Thirty-eight: The Dalai Lama and Post-Traumatic USC Trojan Syndrome 145
Chapter Thirty-nine: Saying Thanks 149
Chapter Forty: Three Bites and You’re Out 153
Chapter Forty-one: Patch Blog: Mr. Cunningham, I Presume 157
Chapter Forty-two: Windstorm Was More Than a Breath of Fresh Air 163
Chapter Forty-three: Thanks 167
Chapter Forty-four: Choose Your Fantasies 171
Chapter Forty-five: A New Year’s Day Pep Talk 175
Chapter Forty-six: The Organization That Changed Everything 179
Chapter Forty-seven: Amanda 183
Chapter Forty-eight: A Dental School Second Amendment for Dummies 185
About the Author 189
Over de auteur
Dr. Von Bulow was born, raised, and still lives just outside of Los Angeles in the San Gabriel Valley; he’s practiced restorative dentistry there, after founding Temple City Dental Care, for just over 40-years. And although 40-years of anything translates into a certain chronological result, Dr. V assures us his physiological number lands somewhere near the number itself.Dr. Von Bulow received his Bachelor of Science degree from California State University, Los Angeles and his DDS degree from the University of Southern California and is intent on continuing to learn.
The Temple City Dental Care intention is ‘Making a world-class difference for others and making Dentistry fun.’ And Dr. V. is blessed with a team that can make patients feel safe and liked on ‘Hello.’ The TCDC commitment is helping patients become their own best healthcare advocates; and the commitment extends beyond the dental practice as doctors and team participate in multiple community projects, often initiated by team members.
Dr. Von Bulow is a member of the Academy of Laser Dentistry, the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry, and the Crown Council; he’s also a Board of Directors member of the American Academy of Clear Aligners where Dr. V also mentors other North America Invisalign orthodontics providers. Von Bulow and Team have earned awards for service, teamwork, and Invisalign care; doctors and Team commit to more than 100-hours of training per year.
In his spare time, Dr. V enjoys reading, going to the movies, and following USC Trojan Football; he exercises at a level the uninitiated might consider obsessive-compulsive. Von Bulow has written a weekly column for local rags for over 20-years; he’s published three books, including ‘Can We Smile?’, ‘Molar Jockey Memoirs’ and now, ‘The Most Interesting Dentist in the World’ (based on one of his columns and the fact he won a t-shirt in a video competition.)
Dr. V’s written perspective is all his own, coming from the lighter, humorous side but also embracing an opinionated view of a decidedly big picture.
Dr. Von Bulow asks, ‘Why not practice effective business, healthcare, and dentistry within a culture of love, humor, and compassion? And maybe some Trojan Football domination.