When I'm 64 oh wait when I'm 84?

     The rules have changed. Sir Paul probably had no idea he would be touring in his 60's and still rocking as hard as he is on his current tour. Many of us probably would never have guessed we would be where we are but many of us are starting to realize we might make it to 70 or 80.
      It's become a shifting landscape that I am happy to be a part of as we change the age we expect to not just live but thrive to in our later years. At our practice we plan for the situation to have our patients be able to eat and enjoy their food and smile in their 80s if possible.

      This has become part of my ethos as a dental professional most especially after I had a patient about to celebrate her 90th birthday. She and I talked for a moment and she reflected that if someone had told her at 50, forty years ago, that she would be living in her own home and driving herself to her dentist appointment she wouldn't have believed it possible. We all have to balance the concept of living to 90 or being gone tomorrow and follow our own path with decision making.

      In the office we have been listening to several out of town radio stations via the wonders of the interwebs. We've played a bit of St. Paul and the Broken Bones who are a great live act. In the front in our chamberlain lane office and waiting are we have mixed in some chamber music covers of popular rock and pop which are very interesting when they are mixed in with our normal Classic Rock and Country. At our Poplar Level Road office it seems to always sway heavily towards classic rock then will veer steeply into modern pop music until I really just need or feel the need to have my patients listen to some Steely Dan or Fleetwood Mac.

We recently had a situation where we had a patient who had neglected their dental care to the extreme. This young man was really pushing the envelope of ending up in the hospital. We had to do extensive surgery to remove the affected teeth as well as drain the area and see him multiple times. One of the things that my Fellowship in Maxillo-facial surgery has done for me is to let me help people that are in these straights. Luckily this young man knew how much he had risked his health. Many folks don't realize that recently a person in Cincinnati died from a dental infection. Several years ago a young man in Washington, D.C. also died from a dental infection. This person in DC was a child which makes it even more of a tragedy.

The other interesting the the last few days was a patient who came to our office having been given a lot of different information about dental implants. The thing that I find most saddening about the public's perception is that calling and seeing different folks will lead to understanding. In reality there are folks that are fly by night offices offering pie in the sky dreams for people that can't really have them. There is an old country phrase that I am thinking of here, You can't make a silk purse out of a sows ear. The other phrase that comes to mind is champagne taste on a beer budget. We all operate on a budget. Sure Donald Trump's budget is different than say The richest person in Louisville, Kentucky.

I can't get that german sports car I fell in love with at age 7 on the monthly payment of my used SUV I currently drive. That's just reality. Of course, If I wanted to live in a much more meager place, really really scrimp in my clothing and food I'm sure I could get that sports car. But its just not that important to me today. And teeth are the same way. It's important that people be honest with themselves first. I have a patient in her 90's that has all her teeth. It's important to her, when I've gone to tell her about a new dental care product, she usually already knows about it. There is with all things a bit of luck. But it is at the end about priorities.

What are your dental priorities?

We've been listening to a wide range of music at the office. Becky created a new station for the front office on Pandora. We had been combining all the Pandora stations our team and patients had created but good ole Pandora played a few they didn't think were quitte appropriate for the office.

Here is a viral video of the Great Billy Joel at Vanderbilt University being the Kind of Guy(or gal) I think many of us should be. Gracious and kind.