by Joe Blaes
These last few months have been extremely busy for me. Many great things are happening in dentistry, and you can read about a lot of it here in Dental Economics. While I would really like to have you read DE from cover to cover, I want to point out some articles that you really should not miss!
As some of you have already discovered, DE is now offering continuing education pieces as “run of the book” articles that are part of PennWell’s INeedCE division. This month’s article is “10 Top Management Tools for a Successful Practice” by Lois Banta. Lois is known for her high-energy seminars. She has been lecturing and consulting with dentists for 21 years, and her programs are designed to suit any practice. Whether you need assistance in one or more key areas, or you want the total package, she has the skills and programs to suit your needs and ignite your practice. After you take this course, you also should visit www.ineedce.com to see the many CE courses that we offer for credit.
Next, I want you to visit the financial analysis section of this issue. This is something new that contains a feature article in which Dr. Roger Levin of the Levin Group discusses the results of the DE/Levin Group Practice Survey. Also in this section is the 2012 Fee Survey, compiled by Sikka Software, from a large base of dental practices. These two articles are consistently well received by our readers.
Be sure to read Dr. Charles Blair’s “Analysis of the Dentist’s Busyness by the Numbers.” Charles is one of the top writers on analyzing a dental practice. Another great article is “Tax Advantages of Purchasing New Equipment for Your Dental Office” by Allen Schiff, CPA, CFE. Allen is one of the founders of the Academy of Dental CPAs. Since many of our tax advantages depend on the outcome of the presidential election in November, this will be exceptionally important information for you as a small business owner. I want to thank all of our authors for providing such great information in a very timely manner.
During the past few months, I traveled to Minneapolis to participate in a Key Opinion Leaders Meeting at the 3M Wonewok Conference Center, which is isolated in the Minnesota woods. This is a special meeting I’m always excited to attend, since this is where 3M shows and tells a select group of dental thought leaders about the products they’re planning to release in the coming months and years. I always feel very special to be invited, since we’re all expected to participate in the discussions about how these products can help our practices better serve our patients. However, it is not all work. It’s also a great chance to catch up with old friends and make new friends as well. It is a chance for me to find some new authors, too! Participants also have an opportunity to relax, fish, water ski, trap shoot, or just sit in the sun and read. This is unlike any other meeting I’ve ever attended.
In August, I attended the CEREC 27 and a half meeting in Las Vegas. Sirona had a great CEREC 25th anniversary meeting two and a half years ago. The company had important news to announce, and felt that it could not wait until the 30th anniversary to disseminate it. What better way to announce the news than to have a party? Let me tell you, Sirona knows how to throw a party! Everything about this show was elegant. There were 4,000 dentists in attendance, and the vast majority were CEREC users. They are all very loyal to CEREC, but no one suspected the startling news that was announced at the first morning session of the meeting. With great fanfare and stunning graphics, Sirona, for the first time, showed the new Omnicam!
So what, you say? Remember, the audience is made up of all CEREC users. First, the new Omnicam head is smaller. Second, it scans in color. Third, it scans faster, and fourth, there is no powder and no spray! The crowd went absolutely wild! For 27 and a half years, dentists have been asking Sirona to get rid of the powder, and they finally did it with Omnicam!
The rest of the show consisted of some excellent commentary by my good friends Michael Augins, Roddy MacLeod, and Imtiaz Manji. There were excellent programs by speakers such as Drs. Sam Puri, Neal Patel, Don Tyndall, Rella Christensen, Michael DiTolla, and many others too numerous to list here. I’m not a CEREC user and have never scanned anything except documents. However, I was able to pick up the Omnicam, and after a couple of false starts, I was able to scan teeth. Imagine what this advancement does to the learning curve in the CEREC CAD/CAM system. Congratulations, Sirona. This is a fantastic innovation!
In September, I was fortunate enough to be invited to Philips Oral Healthcare, which makes the Sonicare toothbrush, AirFloss, and the new Zoom WhiteSpeed Whitening System. This was one of the best meetings of this kind that I have attended in a long time. Dr. Joerg Strate, a periodontist from Germany and the head of Global Clinical Affairs at Philips Oral Healthcare in Amsterdam, spoke about current issues in dentistry. He feels that perhaps Philips can help change our profession into one that can help all of our patients keep their teeth for the rest of their lives. I was excited because he was very logical and passionate, and was actually involving us in his thought processes. At the end of his presentation, he wanted to hear our feedback, and he got a lot of encouragement from the audience. I came away inspired by his presentation and the feedback! Thanks, Joerg, and Gail Stoops, RDH, BSDH, past president of the ADHA and senior manager of professional relations, Philips Consumer Lifestyle.
Finally, I want to bring one last thing to your attention. I’m the past president of the American Academy of Dental Practice Administration (such a mouthful that we call it AADPA). I volunteered a couple of years ago to put together the speakers for the 2013 annual AADPA meeting to be held March 6-9 at the beautiful new Cosmopolitan Hotel in Las Vegas. This hotel is stunning and all the rooms are suites. The meeting space is reached directly from the rooms by way of special elevators, so there are no long walks through the smoky casino. My co-chair is Dr. Al Ousborne, who writes for DE. We have put together an outstanding program that consists of four parts — A motivational opening, a segment on the “Practice of the Future,” another on “Preventing Heart Attack and Stroke,” and a session on “Expanding Your Practice with Digital Dentistry.”
Our speakers include best-selling author Bob Danzig on “Leadership in the Dental Practice.” Three dentists will discuss “The Practice of the Future,” and they will share how they decided not to participate in the down economy. Drs. Marvin Berlin, Robert Mongrain, and Daniel Sindelar will explain what they did to thrive rather than just survive. Bradley F. Bale, MD, and Amy L. Doneen, MSN, ARNP, will present the “Bale/Doneen Method of Heart Attack and Stroke Prevention.” Drs. Tom Nabors, Dan Sindelar, and Chris Kammer will join them in the “Oral-Systemic Connection Workshop.” You’ll learn how to move your practice into a new world that gives your patients more evidence-based information about their overall health. The founder of the Scottsdale Center and Spear Education, Imtiaz Manji, will fascinate you with his presentation, “Adapting to the New World of Dentistry.”
During the 3D Summit — Expand Your Practice with Digital Dentistry — I will speak on “Growing the Progressive Practice”; Dr. August de Oliveira will present “Making Guided Implant Surgery Pay — the EASY Way”; Dr. Donald Tyndall will talk about “3D Radiography — Seeing Things from a New Perspective”; Roddy MacLeod will address “What Is New with the Sirona CEREC System”; and Dr. Tarun Agarwal will speak on “Practical Use of CAD/CAM and Cone Beam in a Successful General Practice.”
I will also give a presentation on “Optimal Use of the Dental Team to Increase Practice Performance Using 3D Digital Dentistry.” Other speakers will include Lois Banta, speaking on “How to Put the FUN Back in Dentistry”; Allen Schiff, CPA, CFE, presenting “MONEY Matters” in two fast-paced, half-day sessions; Linda Drevenstedt, RDH, discussing “7 Brain Principles that Maximize Effectiveness”; and Drs. Rhonda Savage and Wendy Bach presenting “Challenges Facing Women in Dentistry.”
For more information and to register, go to www.aadpa.org. I know this will be an outstanding meeting, and I hope to see many of you there!
Joe Blaes, DDS, Editor
email: [email protected]
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