A Four-Letter Word

Last week I attended a dental conference going by the name of RTR (Reingage Team Retreat). And I guess you can call me a rebel for referencing the full name parenthetically.

RTR is something special, as is the American Academy of Clear Aligners (AACA). For the past eight years, the top Invisalign group in North America, perhaps the globe, and maybe even the Universe, has met up at Wynn Las Vegas. Colleagues are recognized for outstanding individual life-changing clinical outcomes, achieving fellowship status, and finishing cases without needing refinements added to the initial treatment plan. And a growing select group within the organization is honored for generating more successful cases than the aggregate number of highest achieving providers coming from the rest of the globe.

There are also lectures, breakout sessions, hands-on teaching clinics, and even a Let’s Make a Deal show held onstage at the Encore Theater, gifting $100K worth of value to lucky contestants drawn from all the attending Docs and teams. There’s also a board meeting I still get to attend.

This year’s RTR theme was CALYLO-Create A Life You Love. CALYLO emerged from an observed sense of depression, frustration, and unhappiness in general, and within office cultures. As if recovery from Covid-19 wasn’t impactful enough, the beginning of 2025 created its own set of challenges, including fires, floods, and families being separated on the streets, Home Depot parking lots, schools, courthouses, hospitals, and farm fields by masked unidentified federal government agents. Living the timely theme dictated some intention to find optimism and gratitude. We were also personally challenged to deal with the untimely death of two special colleagues, both at the age of 42.

As Viktor Frankl wrote in his book, Man’s Search for Meaning, even when confronting the challenge to survive German-Nazi concentration camps, “Our greatest freedom is the freedom to choose our attitude.” Why not choose to create a life you love?

On Thursday evening of our Tuesday thru Friday conference at Wynn, we all attended “Postcards from Earth” at the Sphere. Postcards tells the story of life on Earth, ultimately challenged by mankind and requiring some recovery time from humans to self-sustain (That’s just my take. And I hate using that four-letter word.) The Sphere experience is like nothing I’ve ever lived before. I’ve now seen Postcards three times, all owing to my being part of AACA, itself a one of one among dental organizations.

Following the Sphere, we were back at Wynn for a gala, honoring our two missing colleagues, Amir and Erin. Amir had transformed his personal and professional life; he began early each morning with the battle cry, LFG!!! Some of us had answered a 75-day LFG Challenge, completing a task that maybe scared us, every day for 75 days. In Amir’s honor, men wore Velvet coats and Air Jordans, and women wore sparkly outfits (I think I might be wearing my fancy green velvet sports coat to all freezing dental conference rooms in the future.) Predictably, the women were far more impressive.

As I stood in line in search of a Cabernet, I asked the young woman ahead of me how she liked RTR and the gala; she responded, “I think it’s awesome!” and added, “But I’m just a dental assistant.” I couldn’t help myself, “Don’t say just; it’s a four-letter word! You are important! We are lost without you. You might be the key to making a difference for our team, our patients, and the community!" I took a breath and climbed off my soap box as the Dental Assistant slipped away. I took a sip of the red and started reflecting (sometimes a perilous journey, but mostly chicken soup for my dental soul.)

My first Dental Assistant, Diane RDA, taught super-young Dr. Jack how to work with dental assistants (during the Carter Administration and Late Disco.) Diane became my first Office Manager, best friend, and unofficial big sister. Diane helped teach me how to behave like an official grown-ass professional adult. Diane and Dental Assistant Crystal accompanied me on our first continuing education trip out of LA and my first flight since age-12. Our adventure to the Canadian Rockies and Dental Boot Kamp changed everything, jump-started our curiosity and view of the community and our world. Later, Diane explored coaching other practices and invited me to join her in the Landmark Education experience; I wound up doing the entire program over the next two years-another choice that changed my life.

Twenty-three years ago, Diane hosted an office tour for a prospective Temple City Dental Care Dental Assistant, Dani Williams RDA (Disclaimer: the tour pre-dated Landmark Education). I barely acknowledged Dani. I was too busy being busy. Diane promised a walkout, boycott, or labor strike if I didn’t bring Dani back for a legit interview. The next day, during a lucid moment I’ll always remember, I hired Dani Williams RDA on the spot.

Dental Assistant Dani did a supply inventory on her own initiative within a few weeks of being hired. Dani later led our first community project, was selected Dental Assistant of the Year by the national organization, Crown Council, and became our Team Leader. Dani has been my voice of calm, thoughtful, organized, eloquent reason and a super-effective leader for the past twenty-three years. When I sold my practice, the broker was adamant that I shared my actions with no one. I shared every step with Dani and let the broker know about it. After registering his protest, the broker asked, “Do you trust her?” My response, “More than I trust you.”

Dani is closest to being my last best friend standing. And we’re business partners in search of solving the puzzle of State of California licensing and the Bureau of Private Postsecondary Education and establishing our business to train…Dental Assistants, and maybe the next Diane Stone and/or Dani Williams.

There is no such thing as just a Dental Assistant.