The Pfister 5
Pictured: Dr. Pfister at the Cleveland Museum of Art
I started writing this blog back in 2020 (right around the time COVID shocked the world) in an effort to connect with my patients…
First, with all the COVID protocols at the time, I was seeing my patients less and figured writing a blog would be a way to inspire them and stay engaged with them.
Second — COVID or not — I was seeking a creative outlet to give a window into my world outside of Orthodontics. I hoped my patients might enjoy this because, after all, my average patient will be seeing me regularly at the office for over a year’s time. In other words, getting to know each other isn’t such a bad idea when you’re going to be seeing each other on-the-regular. Therefore, my blog became an avenue for connecting with my patients (and patients’ families) so that they’d have a better idea of who I am (more than just an Orthodontist probing in their mouths) when they came to see me.
I must admit, I was (and still am) sometimes weary of sharing too much about myself. But relationships (including those with my patients) have always been paramount in my life. That being said, sometimes you just have to put yourself out there and see what happens if you hope to have a real connection with someone.
Which leads me to this particular blog entry…
I call it the “Pfister 5” — 5 things you probably didn’t know about me. (Unless, of course, you’re a regular reader; in that case, a couple of these may be no surprise to you at all). Either way, sit back and enjoy learning about what makes me tick! Then, come and visit me at the office and let me know if we’ve got anything in common…
1) I’m a foodie.
If you have read some of my blog entries, it probably didn’t take you long to realize this fact. I’m often guilty of sending friends and family members pictures of entrées from my vacations (rather than pics of me and my family)… a definite give-away of my food fondness. And dessert… my admitted downfall! I feel this seed was planted early in my life, 4-10 years of age, as my parents were part-owners of a restaurant and my mother made all of the Hungarian desserts. Growing up, the Pfister kitchen always had the sweet smell of sucrose. (Yes, I understand the inherent irony of an Orthodontist with a sugar addiction, which is why I always brush and floss!)
Pictured: Dr. Pfister serving up something sweet to the woman who got him hooked on sweets!
2) I love animals.
I have always had a great love of animals, but this love for our furry and feathered friends grew stronger in college when I was majoring in biology at The College of Wooster. I’m a member of Ducks Unlimited, Pheasants Forever, Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, and Safari Club International. Yes, I swerve around opossum and skunks on the highway at night, and I put out about 2-300 pounds of corn a month for the deer residing near my home in Medina.
Pictured: Dr. Pfister meets a new pup.
3) I’ve got the travel bug.
My love for travel has taken me to many interesting places, with many trips being related to animal or dental projects. In the nineties, I visited several different countries in Africa to disperse Colgate oral hygiene supplies to indigent villages. These efforts also dovetailed to trips for animal conservation projects like life capture and moving Wildebeest and Zebra in Zimbabwe during their droughts of 1994 and ‘96. More recently, in 2017, I took my son, Steve, to Mount Etjo in Namibia during their drought to feed and move pregnant rhinos to more fertile land. Working with a mother rhino with a two-week-old calf was a highlight of that trip. We also took 7 overweight suitcases filled with dental products for the nearby villages, which were dispersed with lectures on proper brushing techniques.
Pictured: Dr. Pfister, his wife (Terri), and son (Trenton) visit Greece.
4) I firmly believe dogs are special.
Ever heard the expression “man’s best friend”? Whoever came up with it knew what they were talking about. Sure, this might piggy-back on #2 (my love of animals), but dogs are so special to me that they get their own shout-out. I love my dogs, especially my black Labrador Retrievers. I’ve grown up with Collies and German Shepherds, which are definitely excellent breeds, but labs are so much like me. They love the water… and watching them hunt pheasant is truly like watching genetics in action. When it comes time to eat… labs are foodies to the core! My best friend (outside of my wife, of course) is my lab, Mocha.
Pictured: Dr. Pfister enjoys the great outdoors with his loyal companion, Mocha.
5) I have a fond appreciation of museums.
My love for museums probably comes from my mother, who once-a-month drove us from Hinckley to Wade Park on Cleveland’s East Side to visit the Cleveland Museum of Art or Natural History Museum. As a child, walking under the colossal skeletons of the T-Rex and the Brontosaurus was truly unsettling (but significantly stimulating to a developing biology major). I raised both of my boys with similar trips to Wade Oval in hopes that an appreciation of animals, past and present, would instill a stewardship feeling — namely, that we need to take care of animals today that may be heading for extinction tomorrow. If my animal organizations have taught me anything, it’s that we may be at the top of the food chain, but we are all connected on this biosphere and… extinction is forever.
So there you have it — the “Pfister 5” — 5 things you probably didn’t know about me!
In the meantime, have a wonderful weekend and…
Stay classy readers,
Dr. Pfister
P.S. If you’re considering Orthodontic treatment and would like to learn more about Dr. Pfister’s professional qualifications…