"Wow" is about the only word I can use to describe my trip to Cologne, Germany for the International Dental Show (IDS). It was an incredible show, and differed about as much from an American dental show as what is considered "old" in Oklahoma and what is considered "old" in Cologne. Oklahoma became a state in 1907; Cologne has ruins from the Roman empire.
The IDS occurs every two years and runs from Wednesday through Saturday. Those four days find the exhibit hall packed with dentists looking for the latest technology and the best bargains. If your company is going to launch a new product, you're going to launch it in Cologne.
The amazing thing about the meeting is that there is no continuing education offered. There are no seminars to attend or special outings planned. You come to the IDS to visit the exhibitors and see their products. That's it.
Speaking of seeing products, I had the unique pleasure of walking around the exhibit hall every day with Dr. Joe Blaes, editor of Dental Economics. I knew the IDS was going to be something special, but to see him walking around like a kid in a candy store looking at all of the new ideas, concepts, products, and technology was amazing. I think we both said, "Look at that" or "That's interesting" about as much as we said, "Danke." I'd tell you about some of the new products that I saw that will be launched in the U.S. toward the end of the year, but I'd be lynched by some of our advertisers. Trust me, you'll like what you see introduced at the ADA meeting in October in Kansas City and the Greater New York Dental Meeting in November.
I encourage each of you, if at all possible, to attend the IDS in March of 2003. You'll be amazed by what you see, and I promise you it will be educational experience. I discussed dentistry with people from Turkey, Estonia, Germany, Italy, and Korea. I visited with companies from Israel, Greece, France, and Brazil. That's just not something that happens at every dental show.
During the 11-hour flight between Frankfurt and Dallas, I had plenty of time to mull over the evolution of this magazine. In this issue, we've taken a few more steps toward making this a magazine that will inform and entertain you.
I had the pleasure of interviewing Dr. Mark Schreiner of Waterloo, Iowa, for an article you can find on page 28. Dr. Schreiner swam as part of a relay team across the English Channel. That's an amazing task, and I think you'll enjoy his comments on the swim along with the article he wrote on what differentiates champions from competitors.
Our "Office Spotlight" features Fairview Dental of Aurora, Ill. Fairview Dental was chosen as the winner of the best multi-practitioner practice and/or multi-purpose facility in the 2001 Dental Office Design Competition, sponsored by Dental Economics and The Matsco Companies. Check out the article on page 12 and I think you'll see why this practice took the prize.
Finally, if you're going to fly any time soon, keep an eye out for beautfiul teeth. MicroDental Laboratories, in conjunction with Kerr-Sybron, is currently running an in-flight infomercial on all domestic United Airlines flights. This educational 90-second segment focuses on the evolution and advantages of cosmetic dentistry. Passengers are encouraged to speak to their dentist about their smiles, or if they do not currently have a dentist, will be directed to contact the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry for a cosmetic dentist in their area. Scheduled to be shown 19,000 times, this infomercial will run May 15 through June 15 and will be viewed by approximately 1.3 million people.
Read on, this is your magazine...
Kevin Henry, Editor
