Welcome to the first-ever November/December issue of Dental Equipment & Materials and the first-ever DE&M Buyer’s Guide. I hope that you’ll use this issue throughout the year as a reference guide for your office. I know you’ll find the guide, which begins on page 13, useful.
Another thing I know you’ll find useful is Dr. Sheri Doniger’s preview of five key dental meetings in 2006. I have been to all five of the shows mentioned, and they are all great. Yes it’s cold in Boston in January and Chicago in February, but I’ve always found the meetings are well worth braving the chill in the air. The warmth and charm of the South is evident at the Hinman Meeting. Is there any better place to be for the start of the holiday season than New York City? I don’t think so, and I know the Greater New York Dental Meeting is always one of my favorites. And let’s not forget Las Vegas, site of the 2006 ADA annual meeting.
Dr. Doniger did an excellent job with her article, providing you with plenty of information and plenty of Web links to make your visit to these five cities more enjoyable. Trust me, there are few people on earth who enjoy planning a trip and researching restaurants as much as Sheri. I think you’ll see her enthusiasm come through in her article on page 10.
Another big meeting in 2006 is our very first Professional Dental Assisting (PDA) conference in mid-May in Indianapolis. Modeled after RDH® magazine’s highly successful Under One Roof conference for dental hygienists, PDA will focus on hands-on courses and lectures that will make dental assistants more proficient and more excited about their jobs.
Scheduled for May 11-13 at the Hyatt Regency in downtown Indianapolis, PDA is presented in alliance with the American Dental Assistants Association (ADAA) and the Dental Assisting National Board (DANB). PDA will be a conference for dental assistants only, offering these key members of the dental office a chance to interact with other assistants and an opportunity to learn from some of the best-known trainers and speakers in the nation.
PDA will offer keynote lectures by two of the most popular speakers in the dental industry - Dr. Cathy Jameson and DE&M’s own Mary Govoni. The registration fee of $195 includes receptions and lunches. With hands-on courses scheduled to begin Thursday at 2 p.m., it should be a weekend packed with opportunities to expand horizons and improve skills.
There will also be plenty of free time in the evenings for dental assistants to explore the vibrant nightlife of downtown Indianapolis. There are tons of shopping opportunities within a few blocks of the Hyatt, as well as numerous restaurants and entertainment options.
It’s going to be a great meeting. For more information, call (800) 633-1681 or log on to www.professionaldentalassisting.com. You can also find more information on page 22.
Read on, this is your magazine...
Kevin Henry, Editor
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