Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays and Seasons Greetings from all of us at Davidson Family Dentistry. In all of my 63 years, I have never written a Christmas or holiday message to anyone. My wife, Diane, of 42 years has always written our family’s yearly message to our friends and family until now. Let me share with you about our “news” from Davidson Family Dentistry in 2017.
New Employees
Charissa T is our newest dental hygienist. She is originally from Boone and did her hygiene training at Iowa Central Community College in Ft Dodge. She hit the ground running as our assistants and other hygienists took her under their wings from the git-go. Her very first patient asked to be rescheduled with her in 6 months – this hasn’t been her only unsolicited testimonial.
Linda G joined us the in business office. She is a very experienced in the dental field. She worked as an office manager in her previous dental office in Washington DC. We are so fortunate to have such an experienced employee with so much knowledge about dentistry, dental insurance and patient care.
Weddings
Dr. Alyson Baier (Dr. Alyson Siegrist) married Andrew Baier on April 22. Andrew and Alyson have made their home in Johnston. Andrew will obviously make a great life partner for Dr. Alyson. As you recall, Dr. Baier joined us in 2016 after my shoulder surgery. Many of you have already had the pleasure of meeting Dr. Alyson and have experienced her gentle touch.
Babies
Laura T and her husband Joe had a son born on January 5. Joshua weighed in at 8 pounds 1 ounce. Joshua joins older sisters Tenley and Emma. Laura and Joe are wonderful, loving parents. You will know Laura as a friendly voice on the telephone or by her beautiful smile at the front desk.
Sarah B and her husband Trent also had a son. Grady weighed in at 7 pounds 14 ounces and was born on October 25. Sarah is part of our dental hygiene team. Grady is Sarah and Trent’s first child and they are learning the wonders, joys and sleeplessness of parenthood. Sarah is still on her maternity leave and we look forward to her return after Christmas.
Elizabeth M and her husband Stephen had a son. Elizabeth is Dr. David Davidson and Diane Davidson’s favorite and only daughter. Charles Walker Miller was born on January 20 and tipped the scales at 8 pounds 12 ounces. Charles is their first child. Walker is a family name in Dr. Davidson’s family. If Elizabeth had been a boy, Walker was to be her middle name. Elizabeth and Stephen live in Cedar Falls.
There is nothing like a baby to give us all hope for the future and to have three babies is triple the blessing!
Babies of the Future
Dr. John Biegert and his wife Erin are expecting a daughter in January. She will be their first child and they are understandingly beyond excited.
Dr. Amanda Vonnahme and her husband Shane are also expecting a baby in January. They have decided to be surprised by their new arrival’s gender. Dr. Amanda and Shane already have a son, Jack, and a daughter, Sarah.
With all these babies, there must be something in the water. What do you think?
New Equipment
We had several equipment purchases this year which includes a machine to make nightguards, a soft tissue laser, a new intraoral x-ray machine and a couple of new intraoral cameras. The machine to make nightguards has meant we have lowered the fee for that service since we no longer have a laboratory charge. We are also looking to purchase a 3D x-ray (cone beam) machine. As always, our equipment purchases are to enhance the care we deliver to you.
New Training
Dr. Michael Davidson has been doing extensive training in implant dentistry through Implant Maxicourse. It is one of leading implant training centers in the U.S. When he finishes his training he will be eligible for the distinction as a Fellow in the American Academy of Implant Dentistry.
Dr. Justine Stemper and I attended the American Dental Association’s annual meeting that was held in Atlanta. I focused most of my coursework in cone beam digital x-ray diagnosis and technology. Dr. Stemper and I attended a seminar on dental forensics and mass casualty identification.
Dr. Stemper also completed education in laser dentistry and new technology in the dental field. Additionally, she represented the Iowa Dental Association as Iowa’s representative to the Young Dentists Conference.
Dr. Michael Davidson and Dr. John Biegert attended a conference in Las Vegas that focused on new technology in dentistry. Dr. Stemper attended the same course in laser dentistry in Minneapolis that Dr. Biegert and Dr. Michael Davidson had previously attended.
Dr. Vonnahme and Dr. Baier completed their continuing education here in Des Moines sponsored by the Des Moines District Dental Society and the Iowa Dental Association. The instruction was an update on prescription drugs and their interactions and contraindications in dental care.
New Knee
If you didn’t know already, I had my left knee replaced in August. It wasn’t because of arthritis but it was because of a fracture in the condyle of my femur (end of the thigh bone). It’s not quite apparent how I broke my leg, but it was not the greatest 8 months of my life. (It took several months to make the correct diagnosis.) Needless to say, I am doing well and my quality of life has improved dramatically. I was off work for 2 months in healing and rehab.
In the three months prior to my knee replacement surgery, we did a testimonial contest: “What do you like about Davidson Family Dentistry?” We had over a hundred entries. During my convalescence, I read through the entries and chose the winners. I could have had 10,000 get well cards that wouldn’t have had the effect the beautiful entries gave me. Thank you all for your love. It was and continues to be greatly appreciated!
Semi-Retirement
After my shoulder surgery in 2016 and my knee replacement in 2017, I have decided to “slow down” a bit more. My typical work schedule is Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday mornings. Jokingly I like to tell our patients that they now know the magic formula to either be in the office when I work or to avoid my work times. LOL. I have no plans to completely retire at this time and fully expect to work this schedule for quite some time.
Request
Finally, I have two requests.
Holiday Wishes
Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and Seasons Greetings again to you all. We are so grateful you have chosen to place your dental health with us. We wish for you a blessed season and a healthy and prosperous 2018.
Dr. David Davidson
Posted December 8th, 2017
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