My wife and I recently went out for dinner to celebrate our wedding anniversary. Elegant restaurant – one of our favorites. Our server was a woman, probably late 50s, well spoken and engaging. She took great care of us, but the dentist in me couldn’t stop noticing that she had no maxillary teeth distal to her first bicuspids. And her remaining teeth were obviously periodontally compromised.

She reminded us of another woman who for the past few years has worked as a front gate attendant at a golf community in Florida where we spend some time each winter. As a dentist, I could never understand how she could be hired for that position because it was so obvious  that she was missing three or four anterior teeth. Fortunately for her, this year a number of the residents got together to raise some money and bought her a beautiful smile.

This year I have read two books that eloquently describe the economic plight of so many citizens in our country. Hillbilly Elegy by J.D. Vance tells of the struggles of America’s white working class. Vance tells the true story of what a social, regional and class decline feels like when you are born with it around your neck. And Evicted by Matthew Desmond won the Pulitzer Prize for portraying poverty and profit in the American city, following eight families in Milwaukee as they each struggle to keep a roof over their heads.

From the point of view of the dentists, the dental profession unquestionably has been  negatively impacted by the effect that lowered dental insurance remuneration is having on their profitability. On the other hand, these two women I describe, and most of the people portrayed in these two books, can’t afford to go to the dentist even at PPO fees.

So we have a real problem in this country. I do not have a solution. I am not trying to make a political statement. I’m just thinking.

My wife and I recently had the privilege of attending two graduations. Our oldest grandchild (can you believe we have 10!) Josh from the Georgetown University McDonough School of Business in Washington, DC, and our fourth oldest  Samantha  from Edina High School just outside of Minneapolis, Minnesota.

It was interesting to observe the challenge facing the commencement speakers as they told 600 to 800 students dressed in identical caps and gowns that “individuality” is the key to success! The advice at these events is always inspirational. Kids with their entire adult life ahead of them – a blank slate about to be written on. Be a person of conviction and courage. Don’t make choices based on what others will think. Spread good karma. People never forget kindness and generous acts. Bring the passion to do what you love.

A recent Seth Godin blog post entitled Choosing Your Spot beautifully reinforced these sentiments. “At your job, there are probably people with more experience than you, more domain knowledge than you, even more skills than you. But there’s one place where you can make your mark: your attitude. You can bring more generosity of spirit, more enthusiasm, more kindness, more resilience, more positive energy, more bravery and more magic to the room than anyone else.”

As I listened to and read those words of advice, I couldn’t help but think about how they can relate to our dental profession. Just as the graduates dressed in their caps and gowns appear indistinguishable from one another, to the public at large, perhaps all dental practices appear homogeneous with one just like the other – a mere commodity. You cannot allow this perception to exist if you intend to be successful! Please listen and – more importantly –  act on these wonderful graduation challenges. In this era of insurance turmoil and PPO dominance, you will need to work hard to distinguish your practice from the competition.