After much debate, Associate Q and myself have decided that this will be the Dental Insider’s last post. Q and I have discussed this for the last few months, and we have decided that we no longer have the time nor the passion to continue to write for the Dental Insider.
Associate Q’s Final Thoughts…
Before we sign off, and move on to new adventures, I would like to first like to stop and thank The Dental Insider for providing a great forum for people to find important information and also for providing me a soapbox for which to stand, and shout when necessary. This blog is a time consuming project to manage and DI has provided hours upon hours of his personal time to keep information fresh, posts clean and everything in perfect order. This in addition to all of the time tracking down details, triple checking data before posting and talking to people across this industry. Thank you Dental Insider for your hard work and for keeping things going for so long.
Now on to my final thoughts. In all my years I don’t think I have ever seen this industry so screwed up as it is right now. It is the underlying foundation that troubles me, and those responsible for insuring the stability of this industry are asleep at the wheel. I am in touch more with the laboratory side of this industry, so I can not speak in great detail about the dentist side of things. But the lab business is in complete disarray. It is upside down, inside out and totally screwed up.
Whether you want to look at the offshore influence, the scam we all call CAD/CAM, the lack of education or the lack of young technicians who want to learn, this industry has problems. Primarily these problems are created due to one main reason. Dental laboratories refuse to band together to create a strong central voice that can speak for the industry. The NADL/NBC is a joke and more techs are dropping their CDT status due to the costs and hassles than ever before. The ADA does not want things to change, because it might cost them a few more dollars if the technicians making their white Chicklets were actually educated, licensed and had passed some sort of tests.
So while some may think that allowing the industry to remain like the Wild West is a good thing, I disagree. I am by no means for big government, and I don’t like Big Brother looking over my shoulder. But if there was ever a time and a place for governmental regulation it is here and now. And not some FDA regulations that nobody understands, I am talking state level regulation. For crying out loud, barbers have to take an exam to cut a person’s hair but your telling me that people who make crowns or dentures that will be implanted into a humans mouth needs no sort of formal training or license. Your telling me anyone can open a dental lab, go get a few clients and sell them a custom fabricated dental prosthesis?
The future of the industry rests on the shoulders of every laboratory owner and technician. That is a frightening reality. Even scarier, the solution exists in unity.
Looking back I can say that it has been a fun few years. Contributing to this blog has been at times a release. To share what I know with the world and uncover a few secrets has been exciting. This last post is no secret, and I think everyone will agree something has to change or there will be a lot of jobs lost, businesses gone, lives changed for the worse and an overall shift that will send this industry further into a downward spiral.
So speak up. Demand more. Demand better. Join your state group. Make a change. Don;’ just talk about it, be about it. Tell your congressman that the NADL does not speak for every dental lab and they barely speak for 10% of the labs in the USA. Push for registration. Push for regulation. Push for education.
Or leave it to the next generation to sort out, if there is a next generation.
Goodbye and farewell.
Associate Q
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Dental Insider’s Final Thoughts…
Since I started this blog in March of 2006, we have had 280 posts covering a wide variety of subjects, and 847 comments from our readers. We have grown the readership from 1 to well over 300 readers per day, from over 35 countries around the world. I started this blog because there was not one place for a dental sales rep to find out about new products, product recalls and general industry information. I would like to think that we accomplished that goal. Dental Sales Pro will now carry that torch.
We have made many friends along our incredible journey together. We broke some big stories and had some fun along the way. We have a few people that we would like to thank…
First, I would like to thank Associate Q for his writing and support along the way, he provided a perspective on the industry that I could not have. Second, Paul Dutra and CRS, Paul became a sponsor in late 2007 and has continued his sponsorship through the very end. Next I would like to thank my guests on the podcast…Shawn Nowak of Nowak Dental, Teresa Duncan of The Dental Implant Blog and Paul Dutra of CRS, Cassette Repair and Alignment Service.
We would also like to thank all of our sources, whether you knew you were a source or not, we appreciate everything you shared with us. We would also like to thank all of our commentors, who added and enhanced many of our stories with their own unique insights. We made many friends over the last 33 months and I would like to thank the following people for their support and friendship over the years…DSP of Dental Sales Pro, Greg “Flap” Cole of Flap’s Blog, Joe and Nancy Sakaduski of Sakaduski Marketing, Dr. John Flucke of the Dental Technology Blog, the folks over at the Pharmafraud blog, Dr. David Dodell of Dentalcast.net, Linda Zdanowicz of the Exceptional Dental Practice Management Blog, Brian Taylor and First Impressions Magazine, our friends at WordPress, Libsyn and the Blubrry Network.
Most of all…we want to thank, YOU, our readers and listeners. Without all of you, this site would be just another blog in the blogoshere that nobody reads.
It has been both Associate Q and I’s pleasure to be able to write, share and interact with all of you.
I will be leaving this site up indefinitly, for you to use as reference, the podcast site will stay up until January 31, 2009, so be sure to head over there and download all of your favorite episodes. I will continue to be active over a Dental Sales Pro and you can also follow me on Twitter. I have been offered the opportunity to guest blog on a couple of sites, which I may do in the future.
Once again, Associate Q and myself want to thank you for reading the Dental Insider.
Obesa Cantavit – The fat lady has sung!
DI and Associate Q
Dental Insider Blog 