March is here, and as a frequent air traveler I couldn't be happier. With the severe weather the country had this year, flying through the Midwest and Northeast was an adventure. For me, January was especially difficult! Traveling to Buffalo to visit with Ivoclar, my flight from St. Louis to Chicago was delayed, causing me to arrive in Buffalo six hours late. On my return journey, I had a four-hour delay out of Buffalo, missed the last flight to St. Louis, and spent the night in the Chicago O'Hare Hilton. The next week traveling to Boston was great but my return flight through Chicago was cancelled due to a snowstorm … so they rerouted me through Miami to St. Louis. That was definitely the long way home.
Despite the delays, I met a number of great American Airlines employees along the way. They were all very helpful in getting me to my destinations. As anyone who travels will tell you, it makes all the difference when you have good people to help you along the way.
The Yankee Dental Meeting was great this year. Since I was not speaking, I had time to spend on the exhibit floor. I saw a number of new products given early launches at the meeting. You will see more on these products in my “Pearls for Your Practice” column in this and future issues. Our friends at RDH magazine sponsored an all-day hygiene session featuring four speakers. It was well received and every session sold out.
With the close of March, a quarter of the year will be gone. What plans have you made for continuing education courses to help you and your team stay up-to-date with all the changes happening? I have found including my team in my CE plans has not only educated them; it has also been a great team-building experience.
This August the RDH Under One Roof meeting returns to Chicago at the totally remodeled Hyatt Regency Hotel. RDH Under One Roof is a three-day, action-packed event offering quality dental hygiene education. Dental hygienists learn from leading speakers in the industry during the educational courses. All attendees are invited to visit the exhibit floor to view the newest dental hygiene products and dental equipment from the exhibitors. There are plenty of fun things to do that encourage networking with other hygienists from all over the country. There is NO other meeting like this one, so don't let your hygienists miss it!
For more information on RDH Under One Roof, visit www.rdhunderoneroof.com and get registered. I know many dentists who send their hygienists every year to this outstanding dental meeting. The last time RDH Under One Roof was in Chicago, over 1,800 hygienists attended. I have seen dental practices totally changed and made much more successful by the ideas brought home by the attendees at this meeting.
Continuing education is a powerful thing in the right environment. This is the best hygiene meeting that I have ever attended! Last year, Karen (my hygienist) and I sat in on Dr. Sam Lowe's presentation. We came home and totally changed our approach to preventive care in our office. Be sure your hygienist is there this year – you will not be sorry!
Joe Blaes, DDS, Editor
email: [email protected]
Past DE Issues
