Reflections from a Grateful GOAL-Getter

In my columns, I have always shared my thoughts on professional and personal success. I’ve shared MedMark Media’s triumphs, and in recent years searched with you for solutions to some very tough challenges. As always, I am so proud of MedMark Media’s publications and the team that has been the center of my life for so many years. With this column, I am thrilled to announce some amazing news. As of this writing, I just got notified that I am a 2023 Denobi Award nominee. This prestigious nomination is incredibly humbling and inspiring. The Denobi Awards recognize leaders in the dental industry worldwide – including, as the Denobi website notes, “clinicians, educators, brand leaders, students, administrative personnel, sales, advocates, speakers, and leading experts.” From the nominations, finalists include 10 individual winners, one dental team, and one individual that receives the esteemed Dr. Lou Shuman Denobi Pinnacle Achievement Award. Right now, as a nominee, I think back to the years when I ran MedMark out of my tiny condo. Step by step the company has grown into publishing of five magazines, many digital platforms, podcasts, webinars, and opportunities. Some have described me as a “go-getter,” but I like to define myself as a “goal-getter.”

Speaking of setting and reaching new goals, you all know that specialty dentistry is our focus and our passion. So some more good news is the debut this spring of our newest national publication, Pediatric Dental Practice US. Articles will focus on oral health from infancy through teens and offer pediatric dentists new insights on helping young patients. As we strive to inform and improve the practices of endodontists, implant specialists, orthodontists, and dental sleep medicine professionals, reaching clinicians that care for the youngest patients seems like a perfect fit into our coverage of dental care that spans a lifetime.

In this issue of Dental Sleep Practice, our Cover Story takes a look at bite registration, a key step that is often overlooked in the process of dental sleep medicine. Optimal Air, a patent-pending system for bite registration, developed specifically for dental sleep medicine from Nexus Dental Systems, is designed to be easy to use, provide an accurate measurement, and reduce possibilities for error. This issue’s CE explores Restless Legs Syndrome, offering a comprehensive view of its impacts, symptoms, and treatment, as well as common language that dentists can use with other medical providers. Our column on Adjunctive Therapy provides insight into the impacts of concussion and its connection to patients in the dental sleep practice.

I struggled over whether to announce the Denobi Award nomination in my column. That humble voice in my head didn’t want to seem boastful. But, I know that my team, friends, readers, and advertisers would want to share in my excitement of this recognition. This is not just about me. I always try to encourage you all to take some chances, believe in yourself, and as inspirational author Norman Vincent Peale advises have a “humble but reasonable confidence in your own powers.” I also try to emphasize my philosophy of “know your worth.” It sure is a fantastic feeling when others realize your worth too.