Ben Yount DDS

I shed a few tears when I had to say goodbye to my 2002 Volkswagen Jetta. I have sold my beloved car. It is just a car, but it was an adventure machine for me and although my family has outgrown that car I grew a lot with it over the years. Let’s take a journey and give my VW the proper sendoff that it deserves. It all began in the year 2000. Tara was a friend of mine and she had a dark blue Jetta with a VR6 power-plant. She demanded that I drive the car and drive it I...Continue reading

Now I can relax for real: Get a cup of coffee for this long post. I rode my little tail off and somehow made it out of the tunnel that is the Mt. Tam Double Century; a 200 mile bike ride. My plan was to see how far I could get as I have been riding so little in comparison to the last few seasons. I not only saw how far I could go, but I showed myself that I can finish a radically difficult bike ride with some mind power and a lot of heart. I have been asking myself why peop...Continue reading

How to Relax Dr. Yount style: I am not going out of the area, but there is a dentist on call for me as tomorrow I am going to be competing in the Mt. Tamalpais Double Century. This is a timed 200 mile bike ride through Marin and Sonoma counties. The route traverses some of the most beautiful roads that Northern California has to offer. The roads are also some of the most grueling miles one could do on a bicycle as there are many climbs; obviously the Mt. Tam summit, Cole...man Valley Road, and the ‘Marshall Wall’ just to name a few. I have not been training the way I did last year because I have had more important things to tend to beside spending hours in the saddle. My son Tommy and my wife An have been my focus. My life is so busy and in many ways I think we are all busy. Each year I seem to have more added to my ‘life plate.’ Very few things have been discarded and I just keep piling on more. I am happy, but I would not say I relax for any substantial amount of time. Life is all so important and there never seems to be a time that failure is okay. This ride is going to be different than any long distance ride I have done before. I could have not signed up for it as not to risk not finishing, but that is not who I am. I am truly going to test my physical and mental limits. If I am willing to fail, then I am willing to succeed. I will keep you all posted. I will be riding for me, and thinking about the stories I will be able to tell my wife and son. Sincerely, Dr. Ben

KitchenTown is an awesome place for lunch, a small bite, take out, or a coffee. Myself and the dental team have been here for lunch a few times and we love this place. It is a cooperative with multiple chefs who are always cooking up a variety of good eats. It is in San Mateo too! What I like most about it is that the format of this establishment is like no cafe or restaurant I have ever been too. There is something special here.

I was going through some past journal entries and I came to one that was sweet, endearing, and self-reflective. I was not sure where to post this, but I thought here would be a start. ...I am at a cafe' in San Francisco sitting outside, drinking a cup of coffee, and I had a strange flashback. A man walked by with his pitbull on leash. As they moved passed the dog looked into my eyes. I saw deep into the pink of those eyes and my sister came into view. I thought about when she... volunteered at the humane society over a decade ago. There she became acquainted with a female pitbull. My sister saw through the dog's aggressive outer shell and found a tender and loyal soul. The dog was never adopted and tragically the dog was put down. My sister cried for the loss of this dog and the cruelty of its early death. On the outside the dog was an outcast, but on the inside all it wanted was to be loved. To everyone I appear normal, but I too am searching for that sense of belonging. Life is a journey and I enjoy who I am, the people in my life, and all that I do, but I am always going to chase 'the better me'... This writing does not have anything to do with dentistry and I hope my sister is ok that I published it. A lot is going on in my life and I am happy. I am now a proud father and every action I do and word that I say must be deliberate. I will make mistakes, but I live by example. On a wall in one of my dental operatories is a framed picture of the mountains, the sun, and the trees. There it says "Seek the Adventures that Open Your Mind." Parenthood is as much of an adventure as an epic trip. It is not the places I go that opens my mind. Moreover, it is the state of thought that I go through that betters me. How can I be better today? Yours Truly, Ben

I have decided to take a leave of absence from teaching so I can have more time at home to be with my soon-to-be born son! We are so excited and as life goes on, change is always constant. I am going to miss my students at UOP as for the last six years I have taught on Fridays in the prosthodontic department. This photo was taken last Friday and I am with my students and our patient who we made a new set of dentures for. It was an excellent experience for our patient, the ...students, and for me. I love teaching as it keeps me grounded in that I am a student for life. There are an endless number of 'mountain summits' in dentistry and never is there an end; only a continuum of learning, patient care, and leadership. On my last day at the school I gave a talk titled 'High Performance Dentistry.' One of my fears has always been public speaking. I knew that I wanted to leave my students with some positive insight into the future of their professional and personal life and I had to give a presentation. Predictably, this was a vision I had while riding my bicycle. Everything in the talk was about decision making, strategic planning, visualizing success, and having balance within our lives. It is one thing to present on this, but it is another to live by these concepts. I am no master of anything, but I try so hard to keep a clear mind, relax from time to time, and maintain a healthy balance (work, family, and 'me-time'). It is a constant work in progress that we can all do. Yours Truly, Ben Yount

I have been putting a lot of thought to dentistry, my office, my ideals, the community, and the online image that we all have. I could sit and stare into space or I could take action and make a difference. As a dentist I promote overall health. Our health starts with the soul, then the mind, and then the body. The Mind, soul, and body must be kept in alignment. This is a constant battle of checks and balances and being honest with ourselves and at the same time pushing o...urselves towards health. Health does not start at the gym. Health begins with good sleeping habits, drinking water daily, eating right (most of the time), brushing our teeth and flossing etc. These are all things that we know, but at times are difficult to do. I am a dentist, but believe it or not I still have to force myself to brush and floss before I go to bed. I remind myself to drink water. I am tempted by bacon and donuts and sometimes I give in. I cannot indulge myself, but I cannot micromanage myself either. Once we have the essential things in our lives, then we can add exercise and we must always strive for mental health. Our thoughts are so crucial in ways I cannot even describe. When we are healthy we can be more active at work, at home, and more involved with whatever we do. I am not an expert on health or life and nor do I want to portray that I am. I write about this topic because I care about everyone.

One man's meaning of life: This past week my wife and I were in Maui, Hawaii for our 'Babymoon.' I had asked her if I could ride my bike one day while we were there. She is the center of my life and not the bicycle, but if it was alright I would like to ride up to the peak of the Haleakala Crater(elevation = 10,023ft) and I would be with her for the rest of the six days in paradise. She agreed and my journey began. On the drive to the small town of Paia the looming challen...Continue reading

Fun run at balboa high!

Hello all, It has been a long time since I have posted here. The practice of dentistry has been going well and life has been a balancing act. I work hard to give my patients, my dental team, my friends, my family, and myself the necessary allotted time to be taken care of and nurtured. At all times I take care of myself last, but I make sure that I get my 'me-time.' We all need to tend to ourselves as though we are taking care of our loved ones. We are supportive, infor...mative, passionate, and proactive people. Within reason to take care of ourselves is to take care of others because for it we are better people. This may seem abstract, but I am talking about another bicycle ride as this is one of the many ways I get to relax, unwind, enjoy, and be at home with myself. A few weekends ago I was on the backside of Mt. Tamalpais and it is such a special place. It is a gorgeous spot to hike, ride a bike, or to take a drive, and it is the first place I was at that I knew I wanted to become a cyclist. The fog was thick and I could not see over the mountain. I found a friend and we rode for miles through the towns of Marin County, up Mt. Tam, and back home over the Golden Gate Bridge. I was starting to feel tired and I let him leave me behind while on the crests of the hills known as 'the seven sisters.' It was at that time that I knew I was among a special place both in nature and within myself. I am happy. I had a bite to eat and rode hard towards my new found friend and we pedaled home together soaking in one of the last nights of summer. I use to think I was a 'dreamer', but I am a 'doer.' A dream turns into a goal and with initiative and hard work that dream becomes a reality. I would never want to impose my views on anyone, but we must dream a dream and make it real to live a life of experience and fulfillment. -Ben

The Bike the Bridges Century is tomorrow. This is great ride for an even better cause. All of the proceeds go towards the Special Olympics. http://2014BTB.kintera.org/faf/home/default.asp

Thank you everyone for all of your support. Without the wonderful people in my life I would not be able to cover 200 miles on my bicycle in one day. I was expecting this to be an easier ride as I had completed the same event last year. On the contrary as this really was a struggle for the finish. I met old friends along the way as well as making new ones. Learning about the lives of others and reflecting on my life just shows how we have all been through so much. The c...hallenges that we overcome while pushing ourselves physically whether it be at the gym or outside goes farther than just being healthy for our body. When we accomplish the unthinkable we are more prepared to conquer the challenges at home and at the office. I have gained so much from cycling and I encourage everyone to find their exercise outlet. Yours Truly, Dr. Ben Yount

Riding for the act of bettering the profession of dentistry in private practice and education! Completed 200 miles in 16.5 hours. Now it's time to relax for the weekend!