Editor's Note

Kevin Henry | Editor
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As I look down from my window seat over the Southwestern part of the United States, I am struck by how little some of the land beneath me has changed over the last, oh, 5,000 years or so. It's desert. It's not somewhere you'd really want to call home (especially this time of year). I've left behind the metropolitan feel of Phoenix for an empty span of rocky terrain somewhere over Arizona and/or New Mexico.

What I see below me is a sharp contrast to the technology wonderland I saw earlier today at the Scottsdale Center for Dentistry. I was pleased to be invited to be a part of Sirona's impressive unveiling of its latest foray into the world of CAD/CAM and digital impressioning, and I listened closely as the speakers explained why the world of dental technology has never been easier for a dental practice to embrace. You can see my interview with representatives of Sirona, Patterson, and the Scottsdale Center by clicking on the video box above.

Yet despite the tech talk that I was immersed in earlier today, at the moment, all I can think about is the ground below me. There are dental practices out there that share a common bond with the earth under our airplane ... they also haven't changed in the last 5,000 years or so. You know it. I know it. You and I also both know that, no matter what technology bells and whistles you may have in your product arsenal, there are just some dentists who are fine with antiquated systems.

Trying to bring certain dental practices into the 21st century is just one of the challenges you have in your job. While I don't envy you, I can certainly try to help. Listen to some of the words in the video above. Check out our survey on digital radiography on page 11, and glean some ideas from what dental practitioners told us. I think you'll find our results interesting and beneficial.

Good luck with your quest to bring the latest technology to your customers. We're cheering you on ... for your sake as well as for those dental patients who could have their lives changed forever.

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