There have been countless magazine articles, television appearances and jam packed lectures of my brother, Dr. Michael Apa but none from the lens I am about to attach. He is touted as the best aesthetic dentist in the world with offices and state of the art ceramics labs in New York, Dubai and Los Angeles.
I was thinking of him today on a beautiful spring morning, and called him early just before spending the day getting my hands dirty planting more vegetables at my house. He called me back mid-morning after just returning to New York from LA and we talked for a while. I mentioned that I wanted to write an article on him, touching on some aspects of his profession and the pandemic. So here goes…
As kids growing up, we played a lot together with the neighborhood kids. The days were long with pickup games of stickball, football, basketball, swimming, and even tennis. We would play silly games like Make Me Laugh in which you would make jokes or weird noises and timed how long before the other person burst out in laughter. He was always very funny and a character. At times the three year age gap made it harder to always hang together, but I always felt close with him. He was very artistic as a child drawing color pictures of Garfield and had skilled hands for some good sized paws. My mother loved making cookies for the holidays every year (still does!) and he would help her decorate them by intricately putting silver sugar balls on Christmas trees. More importantly he really enjoyed it.
He was not the most athletic child, but was a damn good skateboarder. One year he broke his leg in two spots (tibia and fibula) and I severely sprained my ankle. Both were skateboarding accidents. Our passionate and loving Italian American father one morning just after this happened went outside hastily and we heard all this commotion (crack, bang, boom). He came inside with a cold sweat on his forehead and said something like “there, that’s what you can do with your $# skateboards”. They were each broken in half with a sledgehammer…
When I went off to college my brother grew much closer with my parents which made me happy. I remember calling home and would tell them some of the celebrities I ran across in NYC like Christy Turlington, Harvey Keitel, and Steve Buscemi. That kind of stuff interested me when I was 19. I also remember the first time I played racquetball with my brother just before he went to dental school. He kicked my ass royally; I could barely return a serve. It was memorable as for years I don’t think he beat me in much of anything except knock hockey. I also vividly remember discussing thoughts on whether he should go to dental school in NYC or Fort Lauderdale and gave more reasons for the former. He made the decision on his own after thinking things through and was very focused at NYU Dental where he met his former partner (Larry Rosenthal) at a lecture. Their relationship seemed to grow quickly, and they became very close (and still are). In a short period of time Michael overcame reluctance from his patients some of whom questioned if this young blood had the skills at his age. In no time he transformed the industry with a vision that looked at facial symmetry and unique facets of each person’s features to develop porcelain teeth to best suit them.
He grew the New York office, bought the practice from Larry, opened an office in Dubai and the newest in LA. His dedication and work ethic is second to none and his team is top shelf. He could not do it without all of them and his wife.
I remember the first time I visited his office in NY. He is a natural and juggles numerous patients simultaneously, does the technical work with numerous high speed drills hunched over patients for hours, manages the business, all while having fun. It was like watching Michael Jordan or Bob Ross in action; just smooth and effortless. I also never hear him complain. Yes, he shows frustration at times, but he is simply positive and just gets things done. It is a trait I look up to when I face challenging times.
I MISS YOU BRO AND HOPE TO SEE YOU SOON!!!!!!!! PEACE, GOOD HEALTH AND LOVE.
So what does this pandemic mean for an aesthetic dentist like him? He has been thinking a lot about this and whether he would need to look for a new career. Whether or not essential, the reality is that people want to look and feel good even if wearing a mask or facing a virus that can kill them. Some might say that it is not worth looking good in a casket, but many seem to still want his services with reasonable precautions. So he is planning for reduced patients and staffing per day, and pre-testing of patients a day before office visits with results in less than 24 hours. He is also thinking about who is in his circle and how to maintain a healthy workforce. Simple things like testing support staff (chef, driver, housekeeper) are important and minimizing contact with those from the outside including even food delivery people.
The future is still uncertain, but we all should be thinking of ways to adapt in a safe manner to get back to normality. For some, the opportunities are just not there, no matter how hard they try. This is still a world of the haves and have nots, but we have come together to support one another more than I can ever remember and that is at least a start. So keep you chin up and as NY Governor Andrew Cuomo recently said “Be smart, resourceful, united and tough…New York Tough. We’re are gonna make it! Love wins…always.”
Vincent L. Apa III
May 2, 2020