This year, we commemorate the 30th anniversary of the opening of our dental practice in Hillsborough. To accomplish this, we have designated the month of November as Celebrating 30 years With 30 Days of Thanks. To that end, we have created a list of 30 different ways to express our gratitude to the many people and business partners who have contributed to the evolution and success of our dental practice. It is all these people who provided the support, fun, excitement, challenge and fulfillment which have made this last 30 years such an amazing adventure.
Each day this month, we will find a different way to express our thanks. Among those who will be honored are my mentors, significant teaching institutions, wonderful doctors and dentists to whom we refer, those who refer patients to us, our partner dental labs, our IT partners, our wonderful team, friends, family and last, but certainly not least, our amazing patients.
We will express our thanks in a number of different ways. Many will receive public letters of appreciation, which will be posted on our blog and social media pages. You may find many of these letters to be interesting as we plan to share stories about the practice and the people involved with it. There will be at least three of these each week during the month. In addition, there will be giveaways each week for our patients and we have ordered special commemorative gifts for that purpose.
Before our dental assistant, April, begins her maternity leave at the end of this month, we will enjoy a luncheon to honor of our fabulous team. Finally, we are working to complete our gift of appreciation to the town and people of Hillsborough. Details will be announced at the end of the month.
To kick off these 30 Days of Thanks, the entire list of people and entities to be thanked was reviewed in order to decide who should come first. Without hesitation, it is our wonderful patients who deserve to be celebrated first. Without these people, we would not be able to do the work that we love. Over the years, we have shared each other’s happy times, sad times, difficulties and joys. Many, if not most, of the patients who began coming to our office in the 1980’s were around the same age as me. So our families have grown up at the same time and we have shared similar experiences.
I will never forget that my team and I hosted a “VIP” (Very Important Patient) party way back in the late 80’s and it was held at my home. Our family of patients was still intimate enough to invite every one of them to this event. It was a summer party and was attended by many families who had children about the same age as my own. I still fondly remember the wonderful afternoon that was enjoyed by our team and patients alike. Many of those patients remain in our practice to this day.
Not too many years later, I turned 40 and a surprise 40th birthday party was thrown for me again at my home. Our entire dental team at that time attended that party and provided some of the “entertainment.” Specifically, an exotic dancer presented herself at my front door and proceeded to engage in a most provocative dance with yours truly – I believe her name was ”Katja”. Talk about embarrassing… That same night, my dental assistant – not Liz – came out of her shell and made quite a hit with some of the guys in attendance culminating in one of them sipping champagne out of her shoe. What a crazy, fun night.
But enough reminiscing; how shall we thank our patients? Every person who has been a regular patient for at least five years will receive a gift certificate. That certificate increases in value with every five-year period that they have been our patient. Look for yours to arrive by mail. We are still checking, but I believe that there is one person who has been a continuous patient for the last 30 years! Naturally he will receive a special certificate!
In addition, any patient who is seen on a Friday this month will receive a commemorative gift. Also, every Monday, one random patient will receive a special gift. We’ll try to keep you posted on who wins what. These will most likely be featured on our Facebook Page.
Most importantly, Thank You to all of our patients, both current and past. We are extremely grateful for the pleasure of having cared for you for the past 30 years. You provided us with friendship, laughter, challenges, happiness and fulfillment, which has made our lives meaningful. We Love you all!
Everything good that happened with regard to the success and growth of our dental practice has been due to many, many people to whom we wish to express our gratitude during the month of November. In planning for this “30 Days of 
You may be surprised to hear about the first popular procedure which has increased in frequency over the past several years. Once considered only appropriate for adolescents and teenagers, orthodontics has become an excellent means for adults (even those well into their 60s) to improve their smile, take years off their facial appearance, and improve their self-esteem. This, in turn, improves their overall outlook on life. Alternatives to the metal braces commonly seen in the past have grown in popularity as they have become more comfortable, effective and invisible. In our office, Invisalign™ orthodontics has proven to be a discrete and successful method for adults to address bite issues and crooked teeth. Even patients who had braces as a teenager find the system an excellent way to realign teeth which have relapsed over the years.
