DRN now Dental Vibe

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

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

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?

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

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

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

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.