Giant Pumpkins and a Life Lesson

Giant Pumpkins and a Life Lesson

It’s all about finding excitement in what you do and sharing that enthusiasm with others

Elyse Patrella, D.D.S.

THE MINNESOTA STATE FAIR is a magical place. For 12 days each year, the state fairgrounds come alive with food vendors, carnival rides and over 900 live performances. While eating fried cheese curds served by the bucket, patrons can take in live butter sculpting, livestock competitions and more. With this litany of entertain-

ment options, the Great Midwest Get Together draws nearly 2 million visitors annually, making it the largest state fair by daily attendance. I finally checked this attraction off my bucket list this year.

While I, unfortunately, missed the llama costume contest (llamas dressed in costumes, not people dressed as llamas), I did have the pleasure of attending an informative lecture on how to grow a giant pumpkin. The topic seemed a bit dry, but I was lured in by the promise of free giant pumpkin seeds. The hour-long lecture covering soil pH, nutrient requirements, and the pros and cons of fungicide went by surprisingly quickly. The presenter, dressed in a pumpkin-patterned suit, was engaging, and his excitement was contagious. I had never before thought of myself as an award-winning pumpkin grower, but I was suddenly considering how I would get a 2,000-pound pumpkin over my fence.

This struck me as an excellent example of how much demeanor changes interactions. As dentists, we have a unique opportunity to inspire patients to achieve a greater level of health. For a lot of our patients, a visit to the dentist can seem like the worst thing in the world. An appointment can be met with ambivalence, much less enthusiasm. However, imagine what a difference we can make if we are able to impact how patients see the future of their dental health.

It becomes easy to get caught up in daily responsibilities and forget what an impact we can make. It is important to remember what becomes our everyday can change someone’s quality of life. If sharing your enthusiasm can shift the perspective on dentistry from necessity towards privilege for just one person, it will be worth it. So, spend a little more time thinking about the “why” of what we do and share that with your patients. If at first this feels as silly as wearing a pumpkin-patterned suit, persist, because even if it doesn’t connect with your patient, it might bring a little joy to your own life.

The other valuable lesson this giant-grower enthusiast was able to impart was the value of community. I now belong to an online community of giant growers. While I’m slowly coming to terms with the fact that I don’t have space for a garden of giant plants, I still enjoy the view from the sidelines. Record-breaking fruits are celebrated, and when a plant is lost to animal damage or cracks beyond regulation-accepted depth or length, kind words from fellow growers expressing sympathy flood in.

Much like dentistry, growing can be a lonely endeavor. Outside of competitions, growers often tend their gardens alone. A dentist in a solo practice is similarly alone in his or her world. While online communities for dentists abound, there is no substitute for in-person interaction. The dental society is an invaluable resource for achieving a sense of community. Take the opportunity to connect with dentists who truly care about the future of our profession.

I think it’s also important to remember to take breaks. You can’t eat, sleep or breathe dentistry day in and day out; sometimes, you need to branch out. If you have an available 900 square feet of soil, and a complete disregard for your water bill, growing giant pumpkins may be for you. But, even if it’s not, take some time to learn something new, because you might find valuable lessons where you least expect them. z

Dr. Patrella is vice president, Nassau County Dental Society and chair of the society’s Ethics Council. Her article is reprinted, with permission, from the September-December 2022 Nassau County Dental Society Bulletin.