The power of the smile

Dentists as health entities, we always look after the well-being of our patients, but also, we also take care of the aesthetics of the mouth. I think that good work on our part can impact someone their whole life and a large part of it. It is incredible how a smile can change a person's life, give them more security, raise their self-esteem, in addition to giving them health or healing any discomfort or pain. There are studies that ensure that by smiling you release dopamine, the hormone of happiness, that is, having the power to smile can change your mood. Most people the first thing they notice is the smile, in fact, a smile can lead you to have a better job interview, since it makes you more desirable compared to someone who does not smile. I like the idea that, in the power that we have as dentists, with a good treatment, achieve these results and see that our work accompany and help our patients for a long time.

Summer 2020

My friend Vanessa on the right, Mirta at the center and me on the left.

This photo is accompanied by many memories. It was taken at the Humberston offices in northern Chile this year, when covid still did not affect our country, when covid still did not affect our families or us.

This was my first and trip of the year. My friend Pona from the university (in the middle) invited us to visit her hometown, Iquique, along with my friend Vane (on the right), that trip we had fun doing a lot and doing nothing. Some days it was just sun, beach and mojitos, and others walking museum to museum, taking buses to other nearby cities or as we appear in the photo walking in one of the many nitrate offices that are in the place.

The weather in Iquique was really pleasant, it was always between 25 ° C to 28 ° C, although if you don't use sunscreen you can burn your skin as it happened to me the first day I arrived. The sea is more temperate than in Valparaíso, many times we bathed at night and it was very cool.

At night we went for a walk on the main streets. I remember that the first day we went to a local festival and we walked the whole way from Mirta's house to the festival site because it was Sunday and there was no transportation, it was more or less two and a half hours walking, we saw the sunset until the night, when we got to the end the festival had just begun, thank goodness. Anyway, any mishaps we had did not affect us and that is why I love these women very much.

Bicycle for transportation

The bicycle has always been seen as an excellent toy for fun, especially for children. However, in the last decades we have seen how its use has evolved, currently it is already used as a means of transport for short distances. The success is due to all the benefits that riding a bike gives us, such as: keeping fit, saving on gasoline, reducing your carbon footprint, etc.

 Chile is among the countries with the most bike lanes in all of Latin America. Unfortunately, there is a deficit of bike lanes in Chile. We found both connectivity problems for the cyclist, as well as the poor conditions in which they have been built, many times appearing to be an obstacle course. These problems do not motivate new people to join the use of the bicycle as a means of transportation, since the physical integrity of the cyclist is compromised. It is but that new public policies about this will soon emerge to continue enjoying my bike journeys with my sister more safely.