Welcome to our annual technology issue! I have worked hard to pack this issue with useful information for the technical side of your practice. I have been doing a lot of reading lately on the adoption of digital technology into our businesses and our lives. Be sure to read this column to the end for some really mind-boggling information that I would be willing to bet you have not seen or heard.
• I am happy to introduce you to our guest technology editor for August, Dr. William Busch from Kansas City, Mo. Bill is a good friend and an excellent dentist who is always asking “why?” His article, “Adopting Technology — A Necessity Today,” is right on target. Dentists tend to be very cautious about change, whether it is for a product that they use to bond things to teeth, or something big like digital radiography. Would it surprise you to know that it has taken implants more than 25 years to gain widespread adoption?
Dr. Busch will explain why it is important for you to view technology with an open mind rather than a suspicious eye. He has not one, but two brands of CAD/CAM machines that allow him to do many amazing things in dentistry. He will tell you what he likes about each one. I know that you will enjoy his style of writing and his insights into the world of digital dentistry!
• Almost 25 years ago, I built a front deskless office. At that time, there were very few computers in the dental treatment room, and even fewer that empowered the assistants and hygienists to accept payments and schedule appointments. That concept seemed to be a no-brainer to me, and I have been speaking about it for years. It is interesting to me that, in today’s world, many offices have computers in the treatment rooms but still have their patients stopping at the front desk to pay and make appointments.
• I want to call your attention to a new column by another good friend of mine, Dr. Bill Strupp, who practices in Clearwater, Fla. I am so happy to have Bill on board because I don’t think I have ever met another dentist who has so many great ideas to make dentistry faster, better, and easier, and has more fun doing it. I have watched him in action both teaching a course and treating patients in his practice. I know that you will enjoy getting to know Bill, and I hope you will be inspired to take one of his outstanding courses.
• Yet another good friend, Allen Schiff, CPA, will give you the “10 Steps to Integrating New High Technology into Your Practice.” This connects the dots to adopting high tech into your office in the best way possible. I know that you will benefit from Allen’s sage advice on integration!
• This has been a busy spring and summer for the dental industry. It seems like Implant Direct and Dr. Gerald A. Niznick becoming a part of Sybron Dental Specialties will certainly strengthen the company. Dr. Niznick is a great addition to their teaching faculty. I wonder if DENTSPLY International’s making an offer to AMD Lasers means a laser solution for endodontics is just around the corner? Is it true that Dr. Ron Jackson’s new Kerr SonicFill is doing better than expected in Europe since the International Dental Show in Cologne last March?
• Be sure to check out the latest e-supplement from DentistryIQ.com. This month, the focus will be on the oral-systemic link. Again, these e-supplements take editorial you won’t find in DE and presents it in an easy-to-read, downloadable PDF. Be sure you check out this month’s e-supplement, as well as the past ones on topics ranging from social media to sleep disorders. Just go to www.dentistryiq.com and search for “supplement.”
• You have to see this amazing 3-D printer. What is next? I have no idea if this is real or a gag. This is definitely the most revolutionary video I have seen, and I am sure it will alter the way you think. The parameters of possibility have just overstepped the mark. Check this out on YouTube by searching for “3-D printer.”
Almost 25 years ago, I built a front deskless office .... That concept seems to be a no-brainer to me, and I have been speaking about it for many years.
Joe Blaes, DDS, Editor — email: [email protected]
Toll-free phone number: (866) 274-4500
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