November 4th, 2011
It was dark and early on October 21, 2011 when my assistant Kathy and I left Santa Clarita to head down to the LA Sports Arena to volunteer for a long day of helping the unemployed and under served. Having volunteered at several of these events, we knew to expect chaos and also some very appreciative people. Dental volunteering at a large health event such as this gives one a great satisfaction and “feel good” reward. After settling in, having already received many thank you’s for participating, we got our first patient, #19. Our day would end with a number in the 700′s.
Countless hours go into planning and logistics for a four day event such as this. There was a vision testing center, vaccination center, mammography, acupuncture and chiropractic with an emphasis on wellness, even smoking cessation. It was reported that 2,384 dental procedures were performed in that period and that health services were provided for a total of 3,750 people.
Even with the amount of organization that went into the event, it is hard to have everything for every possibility. This was especially true when it came to the instrumentation. There were many cases where the right surgical instrument could have saved a lot of time and energy, so there was a lot of improvisation. That being said, we did take our composite curing light in order to do tooth colored fillings and bonding, which proved to be very valuable. We were even able to do great cosmetic dentistry on several patients who had broken or badly decayed front teeth. One woman said that now that she had her front teeth fixed that she could go out and get a job. One thing that we will make sure to take next time is a mirror. We couldn’t wait to show these gracious people their new smiles!
Dr. Oz spent the day filming at the event. He is a very patient man! It was difficult for him to accomplish his shots with so many wanting to have their picture with him. Alas, many times his interviews were taking place right where our chair was so, no fault of his, it made it harder for us to see our patients.
After a long 10 1/2 hour day spent in an improvised clinic, we walked out of the Sports Arena . This time the sun was out, although setting. We were exhausted, but felt as though we had made a difference.
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June 5th, 2011
The best cosmetic dentists and their teams from around the world came to Boston in May for the annual conference of the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry. This was my first trip to Boston, so I went early in order to do some sightseeing. I was met by a long time friend from London and immediate past president of the British Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry, Dr. James Goolnik BDS the weekend prior to the start of the conference. My senior staff, Diane Ghilardi RDA, Kathy DeLanzo RDA and Kelly Wanjon flew in a few days later for the start of the conference. The weather was dreary and rainy, but it didn’t hinder my bus tour of the city and wet wandering of the Freedom Trail. I ate lobster rolls and clam chowder at the famous Quincy Market, walked to the old state house and the site of the Boston massacre. I followed the trail to the Old North Church (one if by land, two if by sea) which launched the midnight ride of Paul Revere (who was a practicing dentist). I strolled the deck of the USS Constitution (old Ironside), the oldest commissioned vessel in the US Navy. We went to Cambridge and Harvard University and got back on the bus just in time to miss a downpour, and then passed Boston Gardens on the way back into the city from Charlestown. Even in the gray wet weather, the city is beautiful. There is an intricate juxtaposition between the very old buildings and the tall glass skyscrapers. Because all of the cross town freeways were put underground (the big dig), there are lots of open park and garden spaces.
Weather delays kept my team from getting in until midnight the night prior to the opening session. This poses a problem when going from west to east, as 3 hours are lost. Knowing that they would get very little sleep, I met them with little care packages of 5 hour energy and muscle milk. They were up and looking beautiful when we met for breakfast at 4:30 am pacific time. I had signed up for two full days of workshops. The most challenging cosmetic procedures are freehand direct bonding. It is conservative and artistic, but takes talent and a lot of practice to do well. This was the goal that I had set for myself at this conference. Under the guidance of some of the very best direct bonding artists in the country, I went to work. I was very pleased with the results of my endeavors, and was quite flattered to have one of the instructors praise my work and suggest that I talk to the company about teaching for them.
The welcome reception was held at Jillian’s across the street from Fenway park. We were joined by other long time friends, Annie Drewinski RDH from Chicago and Dr. Glenn Van As from Vancouver, BC. As well as a former classmate of mine from dental school, Dr. Eddie Jang, his wife Gloria and their team from northern California and Dr. Martin Joergens, the president of the German cosmetic dental society, from Dusseldorf, Germany. We ate, and bowled and danced. I also bought several tickets for a raffle to benefit the Give Back A Smile Foundation, the AACD’s charitable foundation to restore the smiles of victims of domestic violence. I have been a supporter for over 10 years, and our office has restored the smiles of two women here in southern California. The grand prize was 4 tickets to the Red Sox vs. Cubs game Friday evening. It would be the first meeting between the two at Fenway since 1918. Well, guess who won??
My staff decided that they would rather sight see with our friend Annie, who’s daughter lives in Salem. So they got the witch tour, and I took James, Martin and Eddie to the game. It was perfect! I have gone to several 49er, Cal and Raider games with Eddie, and James and Martin had never been to a baseball game. The energy and the crowds outside of Fenway were electric. We were all sporting Red Sox gear. We had reserved box seats. The view was great and so was the food. It was a fantastic offensive game that ended 15-5 Red Sox. It gave me every opportunity to explain the subtleties and nuances of the game. We almost got a foul ball too!
Diane, Kathy and Kelly were leaving on Saturday afternoon, so we took the morning to explore the city together. We walked the Freedom Trail to Paul Revere’s house and into the North End of the city (the Italian section). We found a corner trattoria with the windows open and beautiful flower boxes. We sat at the white linen tables and had some fabulous Italian food and watched the people go by. I really love my staff (Dell’s Angels) and relish the opportunity to share experiences outside the office with them. All the while, they get to meet other high achieving team members and share insight. They represent the office so well, and I’m lucky to be a part of their team!
I stayed for the Gala event that evening. This is where the Accreditation honors and awards are given. I had presented a case last year at the AACD meeting in Dallas. It was a missing tooth/ implant restoration. Dr. Moldovan had done the implant, and the tissue response was so good, that it actually changed the height to width ratio of the crown. I was approached by a young lab technician, Ryan Langer CDT, of Eagle, Idaho who was aggressively pursuing accreditation and needed only this one type of case to submit. We decided to work together to perfect the case. Ryan did a fabulous job, submitted the case, passed it and was receiving his accreditation. I enjoyed the evening’s celebration, and was honored and proud to join Ryan and meet his family that night. Now I just need to do my homework and get the case submitted!
Tags: AACD, AACD Boston, cosmetic dentistry, dental charity, dental volunteering, dentist, dentistry santa clarita, Give Back A Smile, santa clarita
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November 2nd, 2010
Being part of a community and giving back is such a positive experience. I recently volunteered for the Modern Day House Call for Women, which was held in conjunction with the Women’s Conference in Long Beach, CA. The 3 day event was sponsored by California’s First Lady, Maria Shriver, and provided medical, dental, mental health and vision services for women. There is an honorable sense of duty and camaraderie amongst all of the volunteers. It is also good to see some of the same faces and renew friendships.
In 2009, my assistant Kathy and I volunteered for the first ever Remote Area Medical (RAM) event to be held in an urban center, Los Angeles. This was an 8 day event, and people were lining up at 3 am and waiting all day for services. I was able to spend 3 days there, and with the assistance of many professionals and dental companies, was able to help the organizers streamline the processing of the patients and further help organize for future events.
Locally, I have been a long time supporter of the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry’s charitable foundation, Give Back A Smile. The focus of this charity is to help restore the smiles of victims of domestic violence. To be honest, I can think of no better use for the skills that I have acquired during my professional career, and of no more gracious recipients. Because of my involvement, I was invited to a special meet and greet with Dolly Parton prior to her GBAS benefit concert in Nashville, TN.
For many years, I have participated in Henry Mayo Newhall Memorial Hospital’s annual Fashion show as a Chevalier for the Silver Rose Debutants. This is a fundraiser for the hospital and is a fun event for me.
I’m proud of my profession and the giving nature of my colleagues. We truly exemplify giving back.
Tags: dental charity, dental volunteering
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August 24th, 2010
The advantages of sedation dentistry are obvious, the treatment gets done, and you don’t mind a bit. In fact, you may not even remember it! There are two main types of sedation used in dentistry; IV sedation and oral conscious sedation. Specialists, like oral surgeons, typically use IV (intra veinous) sedation for their typically short surgical procedures. In general dentistry, the appointments may take longer, where multiple procedures are completed simultaneously. In this instance oral conscious sedation is preferable. It’s as simple as taking a pill the night before to ensure a good night’s rest, and another pill, on an empty stomach, an hour before your caregiver brings you to your appointment. The medications are extremely safe and even provide an amnesic after effect. I’ve even had patients respond on an evening follow up call, “Did I even see you today?”, and that was after a 4 hour procedure doing a root canal, two crowns and two fillings! We’ve had tremendous success with sedation dentistry in Santa Clarita, taking great care of our anxious patients, as well as helping our patients to have long procedures accomplished comfortably.
Tags: oral conscious sedation, sedation dentistry
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July 27th, 2010
Welcome to the Dr. Goodrick Cosmetic Dentistry blog. Please check back soon to view our blogs.
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