Pacific Coast Society of Orthodontists Bulletin Winter 2023 - 26

Faculty Files
by focusing on the artistic aspects of the beautiful
smiles you are creating.
Artistry in this context means creating a healthy
smile that is in harmony with all other facial features,
including skeletal structures (captured in x-rays) and
the facial soft tissues in their relaxed and animated
positions. Therefore, an appealing smile starts with a
sound diagnosis, thoughtful treatment plan, effective
biomechanics, and, importantly, an artistic eye. A great
smile design with an artistic finish is not only about the
tooth position but also the dental and gingival anatomy;
we must maintain our appreciation and knowledge
of the scientific basis of dentistry as a whole.
As an orthodontist, it is important that we have deep
knowledge about all aspects of creating beautiful
smiles, including scientific evidence and a practical
understanding of the nuances of beauty, balance, and
harmony to optimize a healthy and esthetic result.
Simply put, we need to continue learning the art and
science of smile transformation, no matter the stage
of our careers.
Business Is a Spiritual Pursuit
Business is a spiritual pursuit. Your business
will not grow unless you grow as a
person.
Tony Robbins5
Oxford Languages2
defines business as " a person's
regular occupation, profession or trade " and defines
spiritual as " relating to or affecting the human spirit
or soul as opposed to material or physical things. "
These definitions together indicate that any business
by nature is a spiritual pursuit. While the business of
orthodontics is important from a technical perspective,
what drives us perhaps even more is the calling
to serve our community and have a positive effect.
Thus, our business grows when we grow as a person
and we can serve more people.
Talking about business as a spiritual pursuit, it is also
worth mentioning that the idea of competition is an
inseparable part of most industries and follows similar
rules of greed, grace, and giving. Healthy competition
can improve our outcomes and does not need
to have a negative connotation. When it is done
gracefully, and with a deep respect for all involved, all
businesses can thrive and support one another. When
it is done this way, it can elevate everyone involved
(even the spectators), regardless of who wins or loses
at the time of a healthy competition.
When it comes to values, businesses are set up based
on a wide range of characteristics and mindsets. As
a personal observation, I selected the " 3Gs " of greed,
grace, and giving to illustrate this range on a schematic
bell curve. The businesses on the left end of the spectrum
are run by the greed mindset, the right end by a
pure giving mindset, and most practices in the middle
by the grace (and gratitude) mindset. Ideally, we strive
to exist in the middle, where we can have the most
positive effect while our practices are financially healthy
and allow us to continue contributing to society.
Those practices that are purely built on greed focus
primarily only on financial gains-money, money,
money-and they can negatively affect the clients
and the community. Those that are built purely on the
basis of giving are all about generosity, without any
emphasis on generating income. The problem with
the pure giving group is that they usually do not generate
enough profit to maintain a sustainable business
for long. So, in creating value and serving people, a
well-balanced operation needs people and systems
that function with effortless grace. Establishing and
maintaining this quality on its own is a spiritual pursuit
for all of those involved.
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PCSO Bulletin Winter 2023
Pacific Coast Society of Orthodontists Bulletin Winter 2023

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Pacific Coast Society of Orthodontists Bulletin Winter 2023
