Pacific Coast Society of Orthodontists Bulletin Fall 2016 - 26

Let's Talk About That I love this profession of orthodontics that we all share, and I love the opportunity it gives us to put gorgeous, competent smiles on the faces of our patients. We have been blessed with the ability and opportunity to make true improvements in peoples' lives. We have an obligation to those patients to provide the ultimate orthodontic experience. KF: Share with us your thoughts on the changes you have seen in our profession during the last 40 years. GJ: It saddens me to see some of the changes forced upon our profession by economics and politics. However, we are enjoying the continued birth of new ideas and treatment modalities to help facilitate and expedite the care we give our patients. When I began practicing 40 years ago, a fax machine was a pretty novel innovation. Today, we have instant communication through email, texting, and online social media. Thirty to 40 years ago, some patients struggled with cooperation, but usually a sit-down, heart-to-heart conversation with the parents and patients helped to resolve those issues. Patients and parents understood that there was a process for achieving a goal over time then . . . but not today. Now we are experiencing a generation of patients who don't understand that the achievement of a goal requires personal effort and time; they want what they want, and they want it now! If they don't immediately achieve their desired results, they think there is something wrong with themselves or the process. Nowadays, when you have that heart-to-heart talk with a patient and parents, you will often hear a parent say, "I don't know what I can do." I think our challenges are huge in today's social arena. This climate presents new and different problems that we struggle to resolve. Many times it leads to frustration, disruption and discontinuation of treatment, and removal of the orthodontic appliances, which ter- 26 minates treatment prior to the attainment of optimum results. KF: Few people know about your "need for speed;" please tell us about your love of collecting and racing vintage cars. GJ: From the time I first picked up a model kit and built it, I have loved cars. Again, it is related to my desire to work with my hands, and my appetite for challenges that test my aesthetic and mechanical aptitude. I think one of the beautiful things about our orthodontic profession is that there is an aesthetic component, an art to our treatment. I love the challenge of applying a mechanical solution to resolve a physiological/ biological problem under the demands of providing an aesthetic result. Like most of us, I was unable to explore a luxury like my automotive lust until I finished my education and was successfully in practice. So my red 1966 Volkswagen Bug was a constant companion for 20 years. When I had the opportunity to investigate the world of sports cars, I started with a used 1970 911E- and the "car disease" spread from there. For the next few years, I went through a series of modern and classic sports cars along with a couple of pre-war classics. We would take them to shows and enjoy them on an occasional tour. I always wanted to take a car on the track, but with a young family and an orthodontic practice, I really felt I had no business racing cars. My wife gave me a three-day racing school at Laguna Seca Raceway for my 40th birthday. The hook was set, and I was reeled in pretty quickly. The threeday introductory school immediately led to a three-day advanced racing school, followed by a variety of private and group driving instructions. The show cars quickly disappeared from the garage and were replaced with vintage race cars, a tow vehicle, and a trailer. That was over 25 years ago, and I haven't looked back since. I am cur- PCSO Bulletin  Fall 2016

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Pacific Coast Society of Orthodontists Bulletin Fall 2016