Wednesday, June 27, 2007

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.




Friday, June 8, 2007

The right fit

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.