Retirement Announcement From Dr. Mark Norris

Dear Patients and Friends,

After forty-two years of practice, it is time for me to say goodbye and to thank each of you from the bottom of my heart for your trust, loyalty and friendship.

I graduated in 1979, long before the Internet, digital photography, 3-D radiography, intra-oral scanners, titanium implants, and porcelain veneers.

I told time with the wristwatch my parents gave me upon graduation, had a 35 mm roll-film camera, and a landline telephone. Now I have an i-Phone which does all that and much more.

So much has changed but some things remain the same:

• Take the time to get to know your patient and to figure out what he or she is experiencing.
• Don'’t assume.
• Explain first, perform second.
• Be as kind and as gentle as you can be.
• Don’t offer a service you would not accept yourself, and perform it as well as you can. If necessary, redo it to get a better result when it is appropriate.

About a year ago I welcomed Dr Alex Wong and Dr Vanessa Lee to my practice. They have fully justified my trust in them and I am confident that they will treat each of you well.

Their participation gave me the time to explore interests outside dentistry for the first time in a long time, and there are some activities I want to pursue while I am fit enough. As my late father put it: “Never be the last to leave the party.”

So, it is time to say goodbye to you, my dear patients, and my simply wonderful staff of Wendy, Dejana, My Lien, and now Jenni.

It has been a real privilege to have been chosen by each of you (or forced by your parents!) to provide your dental care for so long. Some strong friendships have been forged across the rubber dam.

The trust you placed in me inspired me to be a lifelong student of my occupation which led to my part-time teaching career and really close friendships with colleagues and some mentors whom I will always revere.

So, in closing, I want to say that I hope I will run across you in the future so I can catch up with your lives and that you have each helped me spend my working life in a really worthwhile way.

With much thanks,

Mark Norris