Letter From Dear Doctor

Issue 32 of Dear Doctor Magazine

The Long And Winding Road...

Part of my inspiration to start Dear Doctor – Dentistry & Oral Health magazine arose from a desire to positively impact and change health behavior. The manifestation of that inspiration came into being through my cherished friend and colleague, Dr. Mario Vilardi with whom I have shared and partnered in this venture. We also started Dear Doctor, in part, as a way of giving something back to a profession that has been so good to us.

It was those famous "first" words that I uttered nonchalantly a decade ago, while Mario was visiting me, "Whatever happened to that great idea for a magazine?" And his response in a call a few weeks later, "You know you really put a bug under me…. I've never started anything I haven't finished…. So we're starting Dear Doctor, and you're going to be the editor-in-chief!"

Well, I had always liked to write, but becoming the editor-in-chief of a magazine was a whole new ball game. I'm still not quite sure why, but I jumped at the opportunity. In hindsight, if anyone embarking on a new venture or startup knew what he/she was getting into, I'm also not sure anything would ever happen. I remember those fraught years and first issues of Dear Doctor — being up until the wee hours of the morning to get them finished. Looking back however, I am proud of all we have accomplished. Just as my patients show thanks for saving their teeth and smiles, so have our readers given us many compliments for the gems they have gleaned from Dear Doctor. Our aspiration has always been to be the flagship for information representing dentistry and oral health at its best both to and for the public, our patients. I believe we have succeeded admirably.

As I step down as editor-in-chief — although "emeritus" does have a certain ring to it — I believe we have achieved more than we set out to. Dear Doctor started at inception as a magazine. Now we provide educational information across a wide variety of platforms including Dear Doctor TV.

What's true too, is that it takes a village. I would like to pay tribute not only to Mario, but also to our third partner David Vilardi, the "face" of Dear Doctor for nothing short of creative genius. I'm never quite sure whether the tune makes the music, or the music makes the tune, but he has certainly proven that a picture, and an illustration or two, are worth several thousand words. I also want to thank all the team at Dear Doctor for making it the success it is today.

While the mission is ongoing, I know we have boldly gone where no one has gone before. I thank you our readers, as well as my partners and colleagues at Dear Doctor, for the path….

Sincerely,