Things I've Learned from Jackson

Yes, folks, Jackson has made it as a topic of my latest dental article for Weekly Biz Japanese print version newspaper. I write this monthly column in English for them. The monthly dental column for Bi Daily Sun Japanese print version newspaper is translated into Japanese but I'll try to post the English version here too.
As always, enjoy!

One Thing I’ve Learned From My Husband

My patients that come on a regular basis know that I often share fun stories about my family. While most of my stories and newspaper articles center on my 2 kids, once in awhile, my husband is also the topic. 

I've been married to my husband for 17 years but we've been best friends since high school. You can say we've known each other for a very long time.  There’s a saying about people in your life.  Some are there to teach you, some are there to learn from you. They’re all there for a reason.  I've done some of my best learning by being around my husband. One of the best lessons is “Be more friendly and give the world your best smile.”

Those of you who have met my husband know that he loves to be around people. He is one of those super friendly people. He loves to talk to people and engage them in conversation.  If we’re at a gas station, the whole family is in the car waiting for him. Where’s Daddy? He’s outside talking with someone.  If we’re at a restaurant ready to order our dinner, when the server comes over, we usually have to wait because he will want to chat with our server. While at first I found myself impatiently waiting, I've come to realize that in life, it’s always best to get to know people around you. And always, always, give them your best smile!

Spring is finally here in NYC and after a long, cold winter filled with grey skies and dirty snow, we’re all welcoming the warmer weather and colorful flowers blooming.  No other season says FRESH quite like spring! It’s a breath of clean air! Time to put away those thick sweaters and boots and stop hiding under layers of clothing!

Spring is also when our office has a lot of new patients calling in for appointments.  Their friends and co-workers have been telling them about our office and now there are no more excuses for not coming in. No more “It’s too cold” or “It gets too dark after work” or “I’ll just wait for next month”.  It’s not cold anymore, there’s still a lot of sunshine after work and before you know it, “next month” is here already!

Patients usually set appointments for a dental cleaning and a checkup.  Nothing says welcome to warmer weather than a clean and healthy mouth.  There are also patients asking for ways to whiten their winter-dark teeth.  Patients are also asking about how to freshen their breath.  It makes me wonder… are dirty yellow teeth, bleeding gums, and bad breath OK in the winter? I hope not! It’s never a good idea anytime!

So the lesson I've picked up from my husband about being more smiley and friendly, I definitely need to practice it more. If more and more people are smiley and friendly, especially in NYC, I think we’ll be on our way to achieving world peace. Join me and give the world your best smile this spring. But do it with clean teeth, healthy gums and fresh breath!