This morning, the cool front finally got to St. Louis and it feels like fall is just around the corner. Fall is one of my favorite times of the year, with pleasant temperatures and the trees presenting their beautiful colors as they prepare for winter.
My dental road took me to Las Vegas for the Sirona "CEREC 25th Anniversary Celebration." This meeting really rocked as 3,000 dentists turned out to listen to some of the greatest names in dentistry. This was a serious meeting where everyone was engaged in learning about the latest advancements of the CEREC system. A great time was had by all, proving that Sirona and Michael Augins sure know how to throw a party!
You will notice several important additions to this month's issue of Dental Economics®. I am very proud to feature Frank M. Spear, DDS, MSD, on the cover. Periodontist/prosthodontist Dr. Spear is founder and director of the world-class, post-graduate dental institution, Spear Education. His systematic solutions have helped thousands of dentists enjoy greater joy, confidence, and profitability in their practices. Dr. Spear will be the keynote speaker for the only virtual trade show in dentistry, The DDS Tech Fair, which will be presented on Thursday and Friday, Nov. 4-5.
What if you could get the latest information in dentistry from top clinicians without ever leaving the comfort of your home or office? You can do it by attending the DDS Tech Fair, sponsored by Dental Economics®. There is no travel, no hotel, no noisy crowd, and no cost, because this is a virtual trade show. All you need is a computer connected to the Internet. The continuing education is free, and you will receive CE credits for the courses you attend. But, you must register to attend. Simply go to www.ddstechfair.com and register now!
A number of other speakers will present powerful programs in the CE auditorium. Look for more information on the speakers and the times of their presentations on the DDS Tech Fair Web site, www.ddstechfair.com. While at the fair, be sure to visit the trade show floor to see the many exhibitors that will be displaying all the latest that the dental industry has to offer. This is an interactive exhibit floor where you can learn about new products and take advantage of show specials. Stop by the lounge and I will be happy to buy you a virtual drink! This will be the best dental show that you have ever attended because it is all free! I hope to see you there!
Iam also excited to announce that Dr. Spear is starting a new series of columns titled "Frankly Speaking: Insight from Spear Education." The first installment will appear in this issue of DE (see page 60). I found it to be an exceptionally well done piece on how we see our patients. Be sure to read this artsicle and attend the DDS Tech Fair for more great information from Dr. Spear.
More big news: This issue also contains a special edition of "The Financial Black Book," which has been placed in DE as a pull-out so that you can easily remove it and save it for future use. One of our readers' favorite articles, the "Annual Dental Fee Survey" by Rick Willeford, CPA, and the ADCPA, is included with charts in this special edition of the Black Book. You will be able to compare your fees on a state-by-state basis.
The Financial Black Book also is filled with articles and information that you can readily use to make your practice the best ever. Other articles include "The Transformational Power of Case Presentation" by Dr. Roger Levin, "The Financial Advantages of Internet Marketing" by Glenn Lombardi, "Investing in Your Practice Brings Great Rewards" by Robert Creamer, CPA, "A Rewards Program Paves the Way for Investing in Your Practice," and "Beam Me Up ... Einstein!" by Alan M. Miller. It contains a wealth of information for improving your practice, selling more dentistry, and making your practice more profitable.
This month's IneedCE course is titled "Contemporary Endodontic Evaluation and Diagnosis: Implications for Evidence-Based Endodontic Care" by Manish Garala, BDS. Many myths and misconceptions exist in endodontics, and many of these have been addressed by the resurgence in endodontic research. This article provides the reader with a contemporary, evidence-based perspective on endodontic diagnosis. It will enable clinicians to be secure and confident in the knowledge that they are striving to provide quality endodontic care that follows guidelines and principles established as a result of the latest endodontic research. This excellent course is available in this issue for you to study, take the test, and receive three CE credits for your efforts. For additional information, visit www.ineedce.com.
October marks the 15th anniversary of my being hired as editor of Dental Economics®. Shortly after being hired by DE, I met Dr. Bill Dickerson. He very graciously invited me to his dental practice to observe the hands-on cosmetic workshops he was giving in Las Vegas. I took him up on the offer and was soon observing an unbelievable teaching situation.
In a fairly small dental office setting with five chairs, Bill was teaching cosmetic dentistry to about 10 dentists who had brought their own patients to practice on. I was totally blown away by the experience. I remember that Dr. Larry Rosenthal was there helping Bill teach the class. It was the first time that I had met him as well. Bill was full of passion for cosmetic dentistry, which was amazing for a dentist who had been ready to quit dentistry a few years before! I became a friend of Bill and Larry, and they wrote a number of articles for me in those early years of Dental Economics®.
This year also marks the 15-year anniversary of the Las Vegas Institute for Advanced Dental Studies (LVI), founded by Dr. Dickerson. Bill had a vision and the drive to create something that revolutionized the way we learn new techniques in dentistry. Bill understood that it did not matter how many lectures you attended or how many pages of notes that you took, the most valuable way to learn about cosmetic dentistry was to actually perform the procedures on live patients from your practice.
He realized that his dental office was too small to accommodate all those who might want to experience these live patient treatment courses. So, Bill decided to build an educational center in Las Vegas, dedicated exclusively to post-graduate education where dentists from around the world could fly in and learn the latest techniques in cosmetic dentistry.
People told him he was nuts and that a post-graduate dental education center would never survive. It seemed that the more people told him that it could not be done, the more driven Bill became to prove them wrong. He had the vision and the drive, and no one was going to detract him.
It was during this time period that I ran into Bill at another dental meeting. We were having a drink at the bar, and Bill asked me how long I had been drinking that evening because I was slurring my words. I said it wasn't the booze, and I opened my mouth and took out a bite-opening appliance that I was wearing to relieve my TMJ problems. He told me to throw that thing away and come to Las Vegas so he could properly restore my teeth. I did, and thanks to Bill, I have not had any problems since.
As the popularity of LVI expanded, so did its campus and curriculum. Thousands of dentists from around the world flocked to Las Vegas to learn more. In the early years, the curriculum focused on cosmetic dentistry with Bill and Dr. Ron Jackson (another friend of mine) teaching the courses. As Bill's personal journey and education also continued, he brought in several other courses to round out the education of the LVI dentists, making them physicians of the mouth.
Today, LVI has courses covering cosmetics, occlusion, implants, full-mouth reconstruction, endodontics, orthodontics, anatomy, sleep medicine, hygiene, practice management, and more. It all started with Bill's vision to establish one of the most prestigious educational venues available in dentistry today.
If he had listened to his confidants, he would have been out of business in the first year. Because of his drive and vision, he now celebrates 15 years of successfully changing the lives of dentists from around the world. Congratulations, Bill, and I sincerely hope the next 15 years are as fun as the first 15. Thanks for all you have done for dentistry and for me!
Joe Blaes, DDS, Editor – e-mail: [email protected]
Toll-free phone number: (866) 274-4500
More DE Articles
Past DE Issues
