ADA show roundup; Gordon Christensen predicts

Dear DrBicuspid.com member,

What's in a name? With DrBicuspid.com, it's pretty clear: dentistry 24/7, from implants to practice management, from industry news to clinical breakthroughs. In this debut Letter from the Editor (dubbed LFTE--don't try to pronounce that), we're focusing on the latest ADA conference, which took place in sunny (and chilly) San Francisco just last week.

As you can imagine, the show was light on scientific studies and heavy on tutorials, new procedures, advice on running your practice, and continuing education classes. It was also heavy on heavy-hitters, from Gordon Christensen (who, appropriately enough, gave a nearly day-long talk on "New Aspects in Dentistry"), to radiology mavens such as Dr. Ted Parks, from Indiana University.

What was everyone talking about?

On the future front, Gordon Christensen lead the charge, noting that it's a heckuva time to be a dentist. (He meant that in a good way.) Fees are up, cosmetic dentistry is a cash cow, and there are fewer dentists per capita. But he quickly dug into the key technologies that will impact your practice and your bottom line: CAD/CAM systems for do-it-yourself restorations, new techniques for remineralizing tooth structure, a whole stack of his favorite cutting-edge products, and oh yes, why you're doing too many crowns. Read about it here and here.

The hands-on workshops (there were dozens) covered the waterfront, although the hot topics were what you'd expect: cosmetics, implants, lasers, radiography, saliva diagnostics, and such. For example, one very useful session focused on how to whiten just one tooth. It's trickier than you think.

The business-oriented sessions were likewise hands on, covering just about every aspect of practice management. We're talking marketing, scheduling, malpractice headaches, insurance, and more. Check out the Top Stories and Community stories on this page to get the scoop. And come back to DrBicuspid.com regularly--still more stories exploring the ADA show are to come.