Dental Reporter's Notebook

DRN now Dental Vibe

2009-07-06T12:48:00.002-06:00

Hi all. I've moved the Notebook to Wordpress with a new title. From now on, check out the DentalVibe at Wordpress. Make sure to bookmark the new site, and if you link to it, please be sure to update your links. Thanks to all the DRNers, who now get to be Vibers.

Kick Back and Enjoy the Products

2009-07-02T13:13:00.004-06:00

Feel like catching up on the hot new products without sitting through sales calls? Check out Dentalcompare's new Summer Video Newsletter.

Dentalcompare, by far the most innovative group in dental media, has compiled a series of video demos laying out the hottest releases in restorative and aesthetic materials, CAD/CAM, implants, equipment, digital imaging, orthodontics and more.

While you're there, be sure to subscribe to Dentalcompare's newsletters covering every aspect of your practice and product needs.

Big Changes at DPR

2009-07-02T12:59:00.003-06:00

Longtime publisher and general manager Richard Fischer has left the helm at DPR and Advanstar Dental Media. Tight lips mean little news about what brought on the change, but declining ad revenue throughout the market has made goings tough for any dental publisher.

While Fischer's methods rattled many in the market, there is little argument that his innovations changed the way dental media is delivered. I always knew him as a visionary, and I'm sure whatever market he winds up in will be better... and stranger... for his presence.

More on the new DPR Publisher as news is released. I hope to get an interview with him and get the scoop on his approach to dental.

2008... The year of digital dentistry?

2007-09-13T09:35:00.000-06:00

It looks like digital impressioning and restorations, both chairside and in the lab, will be the hot topic for 2008, as a number of major players are poised to challenge Sirona's CEREC system, which has enjoyed a virtual monopoly in the CAD/CAM dentistry space for 20 years, at least in the chairside market. The subject has been the buzz of the industry and media for a couple of years now, but dentists have largely maintained a wait and see attitude toward the technology. With the roll out of new systems, materials and capabilities in the category sure to be the highlight of the upcoming show season, I believe many more dentists will begin to see the technology as a viable alternative for their practices.

3M ESPE today announced the extension of its Lava brand in preparation of the company's launch of the Lava Chairside Oral Scanner. The entire Lava portfolio is now called Lava Precision Solutions and, the company says, "provides a heightened level of energy and focus to the vision of the organization. It also provides a consistent and clear message that shows the commitment of 3M ESPE to the growing digital restorative space." The "complete digital workflow solution" will be a key part of 3M ESPE's messaging in the coming year.

I recently had the opportunity to see the company's new scanner in action. It's impressive. A key difference between the unit and other image acquisition units on the market, such as CEREC and the iTero, is the use of continuous video capture as opposed to several still images. As the digital restorative category heats up, 3M ESPE is making a smart move by focusing on end-to-end services, focusing not just on the technology but the materials and lab network as well.

Of course, 3M also makes materials for CEREC and other systems, as well as the elusive and ever-to-be-released E4D, so the company is well positioned for just about any move the category makes.

The E4D chairside system, meanwhile, has been rolled out in a limited soft launch, with the company recently showcasing the system for fourth-year students at Baylor and running training programs for small groups of dentists, including well-known clinicians like Tom Trinkner, DDS. Still, the company's last big news announcement was eight months ago, at the Chicago MidWinter Meeting, when it announced the appointment of former Ivoclar Vivadent exec Dr. Gary Severence as VP of Marketing and Clinical Affairs. D4D marks an historic joining of forces, as the company represents a partnership of Ivolcar, 3M ESPE and Henry Schein.

As for Sirona, CEREC has deservedly established itself as the standard by which all other systems will be measured, and these new entrants will benefit Sirona by heating up interest in digital dentistry overall. While Sirona has certainly benefited from its first-to-market position, the addition of new systems should prove to boost credibility of the category in the eyes of many dentists.

Moving the Notebook

2007-07-26T12:48:00.000-06:00

To all my die-hard fans, The Dental Reporter's Notebook has a new home at Dentalcompare. Starting today, I will no longer be posting here. You can find me at www.dentalcompare.com. Click on "Blogs" in the blue navigation bar, and you'll find me.

See you there.

Steve

New Hygiene Push at Dentalcompare

2007-06-27T10:31:00.001-06:00

As editorial director of Dentalcompare, the Internet's leading source of product and practice building information for dental professionals, I am thrilled to announce that Kristy Menage Bernie, RDH, BS, has joined Dentalcompare as Dental Hygiene Editor.

I often find that the people I respect and enjoy the most are those who most intensely hold my feet to the fire. And Kristy's certainly one of those people. I first met Kristy two years ago, when I was on the team at Advanstar Dental Media that was launching Modern Hygienist. As soon as we met, Kristy (who then worked for a competing publication) started drilling me: "Do we really need another hygiene magazine? How are you going to be different? What's the point? What's this about 'lifestyle' coverage? It sounds like fluff."

Luckily, Kristy's questions were all ones that my team and I had been asking ourselves daily, and I believe that's what led to MH being the great magazine it is today. And I have to admit, one of my proudest moments was when Kristy came up to me after the magazine's launch and said, "You know what? You did good. I didn't want to like it, but I do."

That said, I am even more excited to have Kristy on my team now. It's much more fun having her on my side of the table. Kristy first visited the Dentalcompare mother ship last month, and in one day of brainstorming on the future direction of dental hygiene content at Dentalcompare, she led the discussion on more great ideas than we could implement in a year.

Now that we're on the same team, I fully expect Kristy to keep challenging me to provide only the very best content possible for dental hygienists... content that will inform, educate, and inspire dental hygiene professionals to never stop reaching when it comes to their patient care and their career goals. Our mission at Dentalcompare, for dentists and dental hygienists, is to provide the information and tools you need to thrive. That's it. I encourage all dentists and dental hygienists to hold our feet to the fire to make sure we're doing just that.

We welcome your comments, suggestions, contributions and criticism, especially as we set out on the dental hygiene path and implement many new social media components that allow you to rate articles, comment on content and submit cases and case presentations.

Visit www.dentalcompare.com, or e-mail me at sdiogo@dentalcompare to find out how you can get involved.

Dental Hygienists rock the Big Easy

2007-06-27T09:36:00.000-06:00

Nearly 900 dental hygienists gathered in New Orleans June 21 to 24 for the 84th Annual Session of the American Dental Hygienists Association, a meeting that was historic on a number of fronts.

First, this meeting marked the official release of the report "Dental Hygiene: Focus on Advancing the Profession." The report, three years in the making, envisions a future of heightened professionalism, patient care and career growth and opportunities for dental hygienists. You can access the full report here. The following is from the ADHA website:

Three years ago, a selected group of dental hygienists met to establish what the future would hold for their profession if it were determined by those in the field. The result is Dental Hygiene: Focus on Advancing the Profession.

The report, which was released officially at annual session, takes a progressive stance with controversial statements and recommendations, such as:

baccalaureate degree recommended as the entry point for dental hygiene practice,
traditional method of providing dental hygiene services through a private dental practice is inadequate to meet the oral health needs of the country and must be expanded,
given the conflict of interest that occurs when employer dentists regulate their own employees, dental boards make frequent decisions that limit the public’s access to dental hygiene services,
dental hygiene professionals should have the authority to regulate themselves,
promoting expanded practice settings and removing restrictive supervision barriers is essential to the current and future health of the nation,
warning that without the development of an advanced dental hygiene practitioner, other allied health professionals (i.e. physicians, nurses) will assume the responsibility of meeting the diverse oral health care needs of the public, especially the underserved.

It's no secret that the ADHA's push for greater autonomy often puts it at odds with dentists and the organizations that represent them. And it's important to note the words above, "a selected group of dental hygienists" crafted this report. For an organization whose membership comprises a minority of the professionals it represents, the ADHA, like all professional associations, must strive to make sure it really is representing its profession, not just its membership or leadership. At the same time, I have sat through hours of debate on the ADA House floor and listened while dentist politicians posed arguments that reeked of turf protection when it came to some sensible loosening of supervision restrictions on dental hygienists in cases where it would truly benefit patients.

In my years covering the oral health profession, I have known dental hygienists to be passionate patient advocates and dedicated protectors of oral health, not to mention the best agents most dentists have when it comes to case presentation and acceptance. I always have viewed the dental hygiene profession as one with incredible opportunity for growth for those who take an entrepreneurial approach to their work. I encourage more dental hygienists to join the ADHA, to seek opportunities for growth and to take pride in their work.

While I may not agree with everything in the report, I applaud the ADHA on continuing to push for the professional rights of its constituents. And I encourage the ADA and other dental organizations to enter into sober and thoughtful discussion on the points raised. Only by pushing the limits will we find the wide open center, where all oral health professionals can succeed in their careers and serve their patients to the best oral health care possible.

NEW BRAND

The ADHA also unveiled its new brand at the meeting... a fresh look, that more accurately captures the spirit of this dynamic profession. (That's it at the top of this post.) The ADHA refers to its new brand as "a vital tool for allowing the association to evolve and remain relevant with the current professional, and personal, trends and needs of dental hygienists." Check out the ADHA website to see the new look and feel surrounding the brand.

The right fit

2007-06-08T07:42:00.000-06:00

It's not easy breaking into the world of dental consulting, landing a spot on the lecture circuit or getting published in a top-tier dental publication or online venue like Dentalcompare. In my never-ending tours of dental shows, events and CE events, I have the pleasure of seeing and meeting the cream of the crop. Yet, over the years, I've begun to notice that once you've heard these folks a couple of times.... well... you've heard them.

While it's always a pleasure to hear the legends speak, I have always been more interested in the up-and-comers, the professionals who are bringing new ideas, attitudes and excitement to the profession.

That's why it was such a joy to spend last weekend in Charleston at the Speaking Consulting Network, where about 140 established and emerging lecturers and consultants gathered to soak up the experience of the legend Linda Miles and network with their peers. As someone who has attended this event four years in a row, it was exhilarating for me to see how so many of these newcomers have developed and advanced their careers. As a dental editor, it has been one of the highlights of my career to help many of the SCN crowd get published and establish themselves as thought leaders in their own right. Attendees at the event got the opportunity see some of the best speakers in action, speakers such as Jeanne Robertson and Janice Hurley-Trailor. For many attendees, the highlight was the opportunity to present short lectures to the group for critiquing. I've spoken before this group in the past, and I can tell you it's a bit intimidating... and I didn't have to worry about receiving any of what Dr. David Reznik so graciously calls "love taps." Congratulations to Dr. Marty Wade who was named the best of this Spotlight on Speaking event.

The challenge at SCN meetings always is to find the time (even with 72 hours of networking!) to talk with everyone you want to meet. It leads to late nights in the lobby bar and very little sleep. (Special thanks to my friends at 1-800-DENTIST... Larry, Naomi and Laura... for their stellar closing dinner featuring superb wine and food pairings and a setting perfectly designed to facilitate mingling.)

For me, one of the highlights was meeting Teresa Duncan, keeper of the excellent Dental Implant Blog. Teresa recently contacted me seemingly out of nowhere and submitted an excellent article for Dentalcompare. In person, she is intelligent, witty and driven to advance implant dentistry, and I look forward to a long working relationship. Anybody who meets me and immediately starts calling me out (including telling me to dump that geeky photo to the right) is a friend and colleague I want. Teresa provided a perfect example of my major challenge at SCN: balancing time with great friends while making new contacts. OK... this is a high-class problem and I'm not complaining. But it goes to my main point here... I think I have one anyway.... that we all need to be open to new ideas, new attitudes and the new people who will carry them to us. Let's stop doing things just because we always did them. Let's stop following the "thought leaders" just because they've achieved their position. Let's find the good stuff.

All week, in-boxes have been packed with celebratory e-mails expressing the joy and inspiration from the attendees, all of whom seem ready to take on the world, build their careers, and continue to find new ways to help your practice succeed. To the docs out there, I encourage you to seek out these newcomers. When you attend dental shows, balance your CE time between the well-known names and the people who are working for peanuts to bring you new ideas. And know that the right consultant can truly help you transform your practice, if you have the right attitude, seek the right fit and let them do their job. All weekend I heard stories of practices improving their productivity and profitability by implementing, and FOLLOWING, systems established by consultants who put as much intelligence, time and effort into developing them as you put into performing great dentistry.

We all know dentists weren't trained as business people. And, unless you're lucky enough to have an MBA running your office, signing on with a qualified consultant can provide you with the systems you need to take your practice to the next level. Are there bad consultants out there? Sure. But far more often, when consultancies fail, it's because of a bad fit. So do your homework and be open to newcomers. If you're looking for a consultant or a speaker for your next dental event or study club, do yourself a favor and check out the talent available in SCN's membership guide.

To those in SCN, keep up the good fight. Dentistry is a profession of abundance, integrity and ever-increasing promise. I encourage all of you to stay true to your mission and your ideals, to seek out opportunity, and to never forget that you will get the furthest when you remember that it's all about your client... not you. Help make happy dentists, and know that, through that mission, you are touching the lives of not just the dentists, but their families, staff and patients. Have faith, work hard, and if there's anything I can do to help, get in touch.

And to Linda Miles... what can I say. You're a great person and a true force in this profession. I'm trying to conceive of how many lives you've impacted, and I think it's probably incalculable. You are a mentor to many, an inspiration to all.

Back to Vegas... with Nobel Biocare

2007-05-22T10:43:00.000-06:00

When you cover dental conferences, you spend a lot of time in Vegas. In fact it's starting to feel like a second, and very strange, home. But each time I'm here, it's because that's where the top clinicians are. And wherever they are, I am.

Today I'm attending the Nobel Biocare World Conference, a gathering of 10,000 attendees, with many more attending, lecturing and performing live techniques from around the world via satellite. It is, by far, the most technologically advanced and exciting dental event yet seen in the United States. Even more exciting that the technology is the international flair. To walk the halls is to experience a United Nations of dental excellence, the halls and conference rooms buzzing with several languages at once. (Again, it's technology that makes it all understandable.)

If you want to see what you're missing, go here.

The focus of the five-day event is exploring the latest techniques and products from one of world leaders in oral health technology. The World Conference is a unique opportunity for dental professionals to receive state of the art education on innovative, scientifically based solutions for their patients.

The Nobel Biocare World Conference 2007, the world's largest dental educational and personalized forum, features a program with 35 live treatments televised via satellite from around the world, many of which are being shown live for the first time ever, including the first live real time broadcast from the University of Peking in China. Close to 340 internationally recognized dental experts will be giving lectures and conducting hundreds of hands-on sessions, workshops and seminars.

In a breakthrough in dental events, women speakers will have over 215 appearances. Another first at the conference is "Bring Your Own Case" discussions that provide participants an opportunity to bring in a patient case and discuss treatment solutions "one-on-one" with dental experts. Participants have booked more than 15,000 sessions. In total, Nobel Biocare is featuring 300 new products and solutions at the World Conference. Here are some of the most exciting:

The Nobel Biocare Maxillofacial Concept, premiers at the World Conference and supports the research and work of Professor P-I Branemark. This concept will assist specialized surgeons in providing smiles to those who need them most. Maxillofacial surgeries can correct a number of deformities in the hard and soft tissues of the oral and maxillofacial regions, caused by disease, trauma and genetic defects.

The concept will use the complete Branemark System of dental implants (in lengths from 7mm to 52mm) and the broad line of prosthetic components for anchoring final prostheses.

When necessary, treating physicians can submit specifications for the production of customized products from the Nobel Biocare Karlskoga precision production facility.

The new concept will also employ a state-of-the-art 3D computer software package for diagnosing and planning maxillofacial surgeries. Nobel Biocare plans to offer future training courses on the software.

With the Maxillofacial Concept, Nobel Biocare will offer the market's most complete selection of fixed solutions for reconstructing a person's face, both inside and outside the mouth.

NobelActive: This world premier features a new implant design with an innovative thread pattern. The one-stage implant features a unique shape and a new thread design with a "self-drilling" capability to facilitate drilling protocols in areas of narrower osteotomy. The product is easy to use and provides high initial stability and good outcomes. NobelActive(tm) has been designed for increased soft tissue volume at the head of the implant, resulting in improved esthetics.

Curvy Abutment: Supporting its core concepts of Soft Tissue Integration and Easy Esthetics for Beautiful Teeth Now, Nobel Biocare introduces the Curvy Abutment. This implant abutment features an hourglass shape at its base and a curved margin, which have been designed to stabilize and promote an excellent soft tissue seal. This product will work with all two-stage Nobel Biocare implants.

I will have more every day from the Nobel Biocare World Conference, both here and at www.dentalcompare.com. We will have podcasts, articles and interviews with as many leading clinicians as we can corral.

An educational oasis in Scottsdale

2007-04-29T13:18:00.000-06:00

Few have ever complained of a lack of continuing education opportunities in dentistry. But to sense the spirit at the Grand Opening Celebration of the Scottsdale Center for Dentistry April 25, to stand in the gleaming lobby and witness the hundreds of clinical and industry luminaries assembled in one place, to view the satisfaction on the faces of these people as they watched top-flight didactic and hands-on education taking place in the most technologically sophisticated and comfortable learning environment ever to grace dentistry, was to believe that previous learning opportunities were sparse at best.

The opening of the Center is a bold move, and, many say, a big risk. The facility itself represents a capital investment of many, many millions of dollars, backed by Mercer Advisors and born of the brain and vision of Mercer CEO Imtiaz Manji and the passion for excellence and integrity of its new Dean, Dr. Gordon Christensen. Besides the financial investment at stake are the reputations of these two men, who have logged an equally hefty number of hours and miles building those reputations by spreading their visions for excellence in the clinical and business practices of dentistry.

I believe the risk will pay off. The Opening Celebration drew a Who’s Who of clinical leadership, all of whom were impressed with not just the facility, but the mission and vision that enlivens it. Many already have signed on as faculty, and many more are in negotiations.

Throughout two days of presentations, one day for the dental laboratory industry and one for clinical leaders, the focus was on the Center’s three-tier promise: To provide the highest-quality learning environment both in terms of faculty and technological infrastructure; to uphold integrity and honesty in education; and to expose all who study there to a best-practices approach to clinical and business pursuits that focuses on conservative, minimally-invasive treatment that honors each patient’s individual needs and wants. In his introductory comments, Dr. Christensen referred to the Center as “the people’s center,” an institution that will serve as a second dental school to prepare new dentists and update experienced dentists with the tools, techniques and principles to provide the best treatment to all patients, not just those who can afford $30,000 cases.

“There has been a disturbing trend towards over-treatment in our profession,” Dr. Christensen said. “As a result, we have fallen from the top of the list in terms of the public’s trust, to the middle. We have the ability, the tools and the technology to treat our patients with the highest integrity and still do very well. What is missing is the willingness.”

By combining Dr. Christensen’s passion for excellent dentistry, rooted in integrity, with Mr. Manji’s focus on teaching the business systems that allow dentists to thrive by treating each patient to the best care possible, the Center has the brain- and heart-power to make this reality. All in attendance agreed this is both laudable and achievable. The challenge will be convincing dentists that it is worth it.

That’s where my colleagues in the dental media can help. As the clinical leaders in attendance were challenged to uphold the teaching of excellence and integrity, so the dental journals and online information sources need to spread the message that practicing with integrity is not only possible, but profitable. We can keep presenting clinical research data unrelated to the work most dentists conduct and shallowly over-hyping the next big profit builder without context. Or we can provide thoughtful, relevant content that informs and educates the profession. We can devote our space and attention to information that is, as Dr. Christensen called it, “evidence-based and practice-focused.”

Our challenge in the dental media is to find excellence wherever it exists and use our unique positions to widen the audience, share and democratize the intelligence we find, so that all in the dental profession know where to find it. We can use our pulpits to heap shallow praise on the latest and greatest, or we can encourage and empower dental professionals to nurture and develop excellence for the benefit of their careers, their teams and, most importantly, their patients.

A new day for dental education

2007-04-11T12:37:00.000-06:00

Less than two weeks now separate us from one of the most exciting events in dentistry: the grand opening of The Scottsdale Center for Dentistry. Having closely followed the development of this center from the initial glint in founder Imtiaz Manji's eye to finished facility, I can confidently predict that the day will come when the continuing education landscape in dentistry will be delineated as "Before Scottsdale" and "After Scottsdale."

For those who don't know, The Scottsdale Center is a $50-million, state-of-the-art dental learning facility adjacent to the prestigious Fairmont Scottsdale Princess Resort. Its location alone would be reason enough for many dentists to plan a working vacation around the site. But the Center also would be worth the trip if it were located in Dubuque. The 65,000 square-foot facility is equipped like no other learning center. From its fully wired auditorium to its impressively outfitted learning center and operatories, no effort or expense has been spared to make the facility a world-leader in offering the what Mr. Manji proudly refers to as "the finest broad-based, unbiased, and complete continuing education for the dental profession."

Features of the Center include a 278 stadium-style auditorium equipped for filming and broadcasting, a fully functional six-operatory "dental practice of the future," a 10-operatory and 36-lab-bench training facility and many other innovations and amenities to help make the Center among the most cutting edge teaching facilities in the world.

More importantly, the Center is dedicated to truth and integrity in continuing education. Unlike other facilities that subscribe to a single clinical philosophy, the Center welcomes all schools of thought across all disciplines. Under the leadership of Dean Dr. Gordon Christensen, a man of unique character and integrity in a profession awash in murky relationships, the Center’s goal is to provide dentists, dental specialists, dental hygienists, dental assistants, and dental technicians with ideal choices about both the subjects and the depth of their continuing education. Given the list of clinicians the Center has drawn to its faculty, I believe this goal is easily, for the first time, within reach.

I will be attending the Grand Opening Gala and will cover the event here and on Dentalcompare.com. Be sure to check back; and be sure to add the Scottsdale Center to your education calendar.

Toothpaste art in NYC

2007-04-09T19:20:00.000-06:00

So I'm wandering through SoHo on a recent trip to NYC, when I pass a grafitti covered door that's vaguely inviting me to come inside. The sign appears to be for a shop... though I'm not entirely sure. Climbing the steps, I'm still not sure if I'm about to enter a hyper-trendy shop, an after-hours club that's still going from the night before, or a crack house. But, alas, after a long flight of creaky stairs and a couple of turns, I find myself in Kiosk.

Featuring no more than two dozen seemingly random items from a single country (the country changes every few months, according to the owner's travel schedule), the blank space highlights the simplicity of the items proffered. Furniture shims, chocolate, toothpaste... it takes the attention of a gallery-goer to let the theme eventually sink in. These are items that are perfect in their simplicity, everyday items that are so taken for granted by the natives that no one would ever think of exporting them.

Sparingly set on simple shelves, with thoughtful note-card descriptions, the mundane items become art, commerce and cultural anthropology all in one. And you can buy it. Of particular note to me, of course, was the Ajona Toothpaste, which the owner described as, "A German punch in the face!" Only $8 a tube. Yet, I was happy to pay it. Because while dozens of high-end stores have no problem selling high-design product that's no better than generic, here was a curator who was willing to devote rather expensive floor space to a rather generic product made art through the simple act of her observation.

I finally got around to reading the store's manifesto: "We opened the store to provide an antidote to overdesign," it read. "We consider the items we stock to be straight-forward and beautiful for their simplicity and directness. Their beauty is sometimes hard to see in today's oversaturated market. Our motivation is to shed some light on their quiet perfection."

For a stumbled-upon store, Kiosk is a true work of found art.

Action for access

2007-04-04T15:31:00.000-06:00

In reference to my post below, there are statements, and then there are Statements. The National Dental Association, an organization uniquely dedicated to access issues, last month released a Statement of grace and fire regarding the recent deaths related to dental issues of not one, but now two children.

"Many dental organizations and media sources weighed in on the events, citing 'a step backward for the nation’s health'," says NDA Executive Director Robert S. Johns. "It is the position of the National Dental Association that there may never have been a step forward, only that the information age has publicized this issue to a greater audience, and the public is now as energized as it is informed."

To paraphrase the rest of his letter is to do it a grave injustice. I urge everyone to read it in its entirety here.

Then, contact the NDA to find out how you can support the 8th Annual NDA on Capitol Hill Day, May 10 in the Rayburn House Office Building, Room B339 – B340. The NDA is extending an invitation to NDA leaders and members, healthcare professionals, Deans and alumni from Howard University’s College of Dentistry and the University of Maryland Dental School, dental students and VIPs.

To take the fight for sensible access to care directly to your Senator or Congressional Representative: House of Representatives www.house.gov; and Senate, www.senate.gov.

For more information, contact kgaines@ndaonline.org or call 202.588.1697, extension 16.

I also have it on strong authority that at least one dental company is doing exactly what I recommended below: Working to establish a direct line specifically to connect underserved patients with dentists who will treat them.

More as I learn it.

On tragedy

2007-04-04T10:50:00.000-06:00

Interesting that the ADA should refer to the recent death of a Maryland boy from a brain infection tied to an abscessed tooth as illustrating "why organized dentistry—all of us, working together—must stay focused on trying to improve that system." The ADA goes on to state: "We’ve taken several steps in response to the death, including a statement that’s on ADA.org and an op-ed we’ve provided to state dental societies. In the best of worlds, we can all hope to focus on this tragedy to leverage our profile as advocates for the under served."

A statement. Thank God. I have covered the ADA for years, and, while I agree it is a worthy organization, there are two areas in which it has continually frustrated me. First on the list is its inability to marshall support for access to care. Second is its refusal to market on behalf of dentistry. (More on that below.) Beyond, "we need more money from Medicaid," the answers seem to come sparingly from 211 E. Chicago Ave. I know this is a complex issue, and sponsoring legislation is important. And, on that front, thanks to the ADA for supporting legislation.

Sen. Jeff Bingaman's reintroduction of a bill calling for federal grants for state Medicaid and SCHIP programs to provide dental care to low-income children is smart, and it's supported by the ADA. The bill aims at encouraging dentists to work in low-income regions by offering dentists bonuses if at least 25 percent of their practice consists of SCHIP and Medicaid patients. But let's get past the more-money answer, can we please? I support dentists getting paid, but what we need here is real, grass-roots, old-fashioned caring and civic mindedness on the part of individual dentists.

Here's where the ADA can help:

1. Educate the public on oral health and the importance of regular dental care, including MARKETING dentistry from an oral-health/overall health standpoint and an esthetic standpoint. Thanks be to Discus Dental, 1-800-DENTIST, Invisalign and DEN-MAT for doing what the ADA should have been doing all along: getting people excited about dentistry.

2. Get dentists mobilized. There are myriad groups that facilitate dentists providing direct service. Work with them to connect dentists with programs such as The National Children's Oral Health Foundation, or, more importantly, their local affiliates. According to the ADA, Washington D.C. staff is meeting with lawmakers to find new answers. "Among new ideas discussed are a grant program to fund Mission of Mercy projects and tax credits for dentists who donate care. While these ideas are still in the rough-draft stage, we expect to work closely with Hill staff in the coming weeks on these and other proposals." Again, great; I hope it succeeds. But how about providing moral and civic leadership to get dentists serving even without tax credits. There are many dentists out there doing just that. Publicize them to their peers and network them. Devote part of ADA.org to create a volunteer clearinghouse, where dentists can connect directly with programs.

3. Stop patting your own back and honor the dentists, groups and dental manufacturers who are making a difference.

Tragedy is one of the most incorrectly- and overused words in the English language. A tragedy is when someone is led to his or death by his or her own flaw. This Maryland child's death is not a tragedy. It is negligence. The tragedy will be if the most powerful dental organization in the United States deteriorates through irrelevance to its constituents on both sides of the dental chair.

Best Magazines Ever

2007-04-04T10:20:00.000-06:00

Congratulations to my former colleagues at Advanstar Dental Media on two fronts.

First, for their recent Neal Award for Best Start-up Publication for Modern Hygienist, a magazine that remains a source of extreme pride for me. My highest publishing career goal was to one day launch a successful magazine. Thanks to Advanstar, I got my opportunity with MH, and I firmly believe it is the best hygiene book out there.

Congrats to Christine Waring and her phenomenal design team; Maria Perno Goldie, MH's graceful and intelligent Editor; Thais Carter, whose spirit, wit and insight inform every page; Publisher and all-around good guy John Grasha; and Richard Fischer, the VP who believed and made it happen. Together they have created a magazine whose writing and overall look-and-feel perfectly capture my philosophy that there is no excuse for trade publications to subscribe to lower quality standards than news-stand pubs. After all, it's people's livelihood we're covering.

It's a philosophy I carry with me in my new position at Dentalcompare, the only enterprise I consider uniquely capable of serving dentists and the dental industry online with the same professionalism, integrity, commitment to excellence, spirit and technical sophistication that I have experienced at the best publishing houses. I came aboard two short months ago with the goal of creating THE online source for dental practice development. With the foundation of tools I inherited from the folks who built the site, it will be a short time indeed until we hit that goal.

For those who don't know (and I assume that's most of you) the Neal Award is the premiere award in business-to-business publishing, kind of the Pulitzer for trade magazines.

Second, congrats to Advanstar on its recent sale to buyout firm Veronis Suhler Stevenson for $1.142 billion. The new money says it will keep the current management team in place... a damn smart move, as Advanstar's upper ranks boast the brightest talent in the publishing and trade-show biz. I look forward to seeing how the infusion of cash, and, I'm sure, new spirit will make the best titles in dentistry even better.

CAD/CAM Curious?

2007-04-02T13:42:00.001-06:00

If you're even remotely interested in CAD/CAM dental technology, be sure to check out Dentalcompare's April CAD/CAM showcase. We'll be featuring articles and interviews with the heavy hitters in this revolutionary field, as well as Webinars, product videos and all the product information you need on systems and materials, all in one place. Check it out at www.dentalcompare.com. And be sure to investigate last month's Endodontics Showcase.

In May, we'll be focusing on Implant technology. If you'd like to contribute an article, case-study, or just a short tip you've picked up, drop me an e-mail at sdiogo@dentalcompare.com.

And, if you'll be in or around Chicago on June 9, take advantage of your chance to attend the first ever Cad/Cam Congress. Join in as Dental Lab Products presents what promises to be a one-of-a-kind convergence of lab owners, technicians, leading manufacturers and industry thought leaders, designed to enlighten and educate you about the latest in laboratory CAD/CAM technology and materials.

Partying like a rockstar

2007-04-02T13:41:00.000-06:00

While the talk and CE was great, one of the highlights of the Townie Meeting was definitely the "Party Like a Rockstar" party at the VooDoo Lounge, sponsored and thrown by our friends at 1-800-DENTIST. (That's me in the eye-liner, along with,from left, Pete Janicki and Dr. Tom Giacobbi of Dental Town, and Laura Clausen of 1-800-DENTIST). Besides being a great company with a great service that helps all dentists (whether they're members or not), these folks know how to throw a party. Slash, George Harrison and John Lennon (in full Sgt. Pepper's regalia), the Spice Girls and a whole lot of Elvises (Elvi?) were present for a raucous time. Best part was heading out later with George Harrison. Only in Vegas can a dentist walk around dressed up like that and barely get a second look.

Check back, as I'll be posting photos soon. And if you were there and have pics to share, e-mail them to me at sdiogo@dentalcompare.com.

Leaving Las Vegas

2007-04-02T12:58:00.000-06:00

This time, hopefully, what happened in Vegas won't stay in Vegas.

I'm just wrapping up my visit to the Townie Meeting, which drew about 1,000 dentists and their team members to the entirely over-the-top Paris Hotel and Casino on the Vegas Strip, and I am, in a word, exhausted. But in a good way.

Rarely have I seen such an enthusiastic group at a dental event. In a field jam packed with shows and CE events, there's something about the Townie Meeting that just feels good. It's probably the fact that this is a community that has grown organically, with members drawn by the very human desire to interact with their peers. While most other meetings remain mired in tradition, stuffiness and politics, the Townies take over their meeting, casting off whatever doesn't work, building on what does, and owning the whole experience.

It epitomizes a trend I've witnessed in my eight years in dentistry: first with the Academy of General Dentistry, then as Editorial Director of Dental Products Report, Dental Practice Report and Modern Hygienist, and now as Editorial Director of Dentalcompare.com. It's a trend away from big, organized dentistry, where dentists feel they should belong, and towards smaller groups of like-minded professionals, where they want to belong.

In many ways, this trend has been sparked by the Internet, a tool whose greatest strength lay in its facility to connect people who share the same interests. The Townie Meeting is the outgrowth of people who for the most part met online and got to know each other by sharing ideas. Today, Dental Town is a thriving online community and a thriving real community. And that's very good for dentistry, where traditionally dentists have viewed each other more as competitors than colleagues.

Discussions throughout the three-day event focused on improving dentistry for the betterment of patients, dentists and their staff. And it wasn't just between dentists. Many of the top dental manufacturing companies were in attendance to support the group. In a profession where manufacturer research and development drives the major advances in treatment, it is refreshing to see dentists and manufacturers sharing ideas.

Community is a wonderful and necessary thing. To see it bloom in the desert was awesome. My wish is that everyone in attendance carries it back home. This is one thing that shouldn't stay in Vegas.