For those of you who are regular readers of this column, this comment will come as no surprise. I have a huge soft spot in my heart for my clinical assistants. Maybe it’s because we are together so much of the time. For whatever reason, I have become very close to the clinical assistants.
Now that I am in this job, I try to recognize the contributions of dental assistants. A few months after I became editor, I wrote a column about how they impacted my practice. A few weeks later, I received a call from the American Dental Assistants Association (ADAA) thanking me for my support and asking if I would be willing to do more. Larry Sepin and Jen Blake from that organization flew to St. Louis for a breakfast meeting about a month later. That was the beginning of a long association between PennWell (publisher of Dental Economics®) and the ADAA.
At the same time, PennWell, the parent company of Dental Economics, was launching a new magazine called Dental Equipment & Materials® (DE&M). Since dental assistants do most of the ordering in the dental office, it seemed to be a natural tie-in with this new magazine. As the original editor of DE&M, I dedicated a section especially written for the dental assistant. The magazine also promoted the ADAA and the importance of membership in that organization.
I firmly believe that a well-trained clinical assistant who operates in a well-organized treatment area can significantly reduce the time necessary to complete any procedure. The dentist owes it to himself or herself and his or her assistants to see that they receive the training they need to make them the very best. Then the dental assistant and the dentist become partners in providing the best treatment possible for the patient. Dentistry then becomes a “WOW” experience!
PennWell has made getting that training easier and more fun than ever. DE&M, in alliance with the Dental Assisting National Board (DANB) and the ADAA will present the first Professional Dental Assisting Conference (PDA). This meeting will be a one-of-a-kind event that will focus on dental assistants. They will have the opportunity to attend hands-on workshops presented by nationally known educators, as well as listen to some of the most widely recognized speakers. Based on a DE&M survey, the hands-on workshops will focus on topics of the greatest importance to dental assistants. The workshops will give dental manufacturers a chance to reach this very important group.
The Professional Dental Assisting Conference will be held May 11-13 at the Hyatt Regency Indianapolis in Indianapolis, Ind. The assistants will have a chance to network with their peers in a fun environment to find out what is happening in other offices across the country. Sign up your assistants for this meeting by visiting the Web site at www.professional dentalassisting.com. The Web site provides detailed information on scheduled speakers and up-to-date conference information. You can also find more information on page 12 of this issue.
Speaking of continuing education, I taught a two-day, hands-on veneer seminar to a wonderful group of dentists in San Diego recently. Most of them had not done many veneers in their practices, and they were thrilled with the information I provided. Although it is difficult to speak for two days, I really enjoy these seminars because of the hugs that I get at the end! A short time after the seminar, one of the dentists in attendance called to tell me that she had sold her first veneer case. Both the patient and the dentist were thrilled ... and so was I! If you are interested in a course such as this, call Genna at (866) 274-4500 for more information.
Joe Blaes, DDS, Editor - e-mail: [email protected]
Toll-free phone number: (866) 274-4500
