I have known Dr. John Sullivan since 2003, when I first began my career in dentistry, choosing to find and work with only the very best dentists in the country on their marketing and thereby help them attract patients whom they could best serve and who would be most likely to value the quality service delivered.

 

Dr. Sullivan was my first “big” client – as strange as it may sound, but in the world of dentistry (and yes, there is one) he is a well-known and well-respected dentist, both for his skill and expertise and for his ingrained sense of honor. We became friends from that point on and over the next decade I worked with hundreds of dentists and dental companies. 

 

Fast forward ten years and we found ourselves both single, and decided to become life partners. Why? For me, as I’ve told so many of our friends, it was in no small part because of his basic down-to-the-core sense of honor and “do-gooder” mentality combined with his "get-it-done" MacGyver-like skills. 

 

Here's the thing: even if Dr. Sullivan never had to work another day in his life, he’d still open the practice doors of Smiles4Oregon every single day in order to help as many of his friends and neighbors as possible. I always thought I was a serious “pollyanna”, but he outshines me by far. And when you put the two of us together, we start imagining fantastical futures where everyone has a happy, healthy, shining and beautiful smile so that everyone’s life can be as fulfilling as possible.

 

To that end, we actively participate in several philanthropic endeavors, from the national Give Back a Smile campaign, sponsored by the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry and focused on restoring the smiles of survivors of domestic violence, to participating in Free Dental Days across the country, to our own local initiative: Smile Forward. 

 

What do we mean by “Smile Forward” you may ask? For us and our incredible team the phrase “Smile Forward” is our vision statement. It means that everything we do each and every day we walk into the practice is intended to make the world and our patients’ lives a better place through modern dentistry. It sounds trite to those not enamored with dentistry to the extent we are, but think about it: what fun is life if you can’t talk with ease, enjoy your favorite foods, sing with abandon, or smile your love upon your beloved? To us, that is everything. 

 

As a team, “Smile Forward” has been the single most motivating factor in our development as a team as it reminds all of us what life is about: a single, sincere smile that makes a difference.

 

We invite you to find a way to smile forward yourself, in any way large or small, and tell us what you did.

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