Focusing more on the numbers in 2004

By Joe Blaes

Happy New Year! Hope you had a wonderful, fun-filled holiday season. Now is the time to look back on what you accomplished in the last year. Did you meet or surpass your goals? Did you fall a little short in 2003? What could you change to make sure you meet your goals for 2004? Perhaps you could add a new service to your practice mix. Now is the time to look at the 2003 year-end numbers to see what they tell you about your practice.

This year, Dental Economics will pay even more attention to those ever important numbers in hopes of helping you improve your bottom line. In other words, we want to help you have more money left over at the end of the month. Monthly columnist Rick Willeford and I will team up to show you the money!

You will also see more surveys in the magazine, as we try to find out what you really want to see in the pages of Dental Economics. I want this magazine to be your best source for information! When you see a survey, please take the time to fill it out. The more dentists who participate in our surveys, the better the results. With better data, we can give you the information you need to make good decisions about your practice.

Most of you are not in the habit of reading the masthead of the magazine. I know that I never used to read it. Well, if you did, you would notice that we have made some changes in the organization of Dental Economics. I have received some well-deserved relief from my everyday duties as editor. Kevin Henry is the editor of our sister publications, Dental Equipment & Materials and Proofs magazines. As if he didn't have enough to do, Kevin has taken on the additional job of managing editor for Dental Economics. Kevin, with his staff of editors in Tulsa, will be responsible for putting the magazine together.

I have a great deal of respect for Kevin and his knowledge of publishing and the dental industry. I know that this addition will enable us to bring you an even better and more timely magazine. I welcome him aboard. With my editorial direction, we will continue to bring you even more interesting and engaging articles, including more interviews and stories that will involve more than one viewpoint.

Many of you have either spoken to or met Genna Leutzinger, my personal assistant. If you have, you know what a wonderful person she is. Everyone who comes in contact with her leaves feeling like they have a new best friend. She is a very special person. Genna has been employed by PennWell for the last three years to assist me in producing the magazine, and she has done an outstanding job. She has been responsible for working with authors to get all of the columns and articles to the editors in a timely manner. She will now work exclusively for me, and I am excited about the new things that we will be bringing to you.

We have already launched a new DVD series entitled, "Products in Your Practice." This series will not only provide information about products, but it also will show you how the products should be used in clinical practice with close-up videography, so you can see exactly what is happening. A new DVD featuring 10 new products will be available each quarter, plus we will have specials from the manufacturers as well. The price for this series is amazingly low, so be sure to sign up now. See the ad in this issue of the magazine for details.

In February, we will launch two new videos, one on making aesthetic provisionals for the anterior and the posterior, and the second on cementing veneers. Watch for details on these new products in the February issue of DE.

I wish you the best in this New Year! I hope that all your dreams come true.