Digital technology does not make better dentists
Much has been said and written about the last decade and how it has changed the way we live. Take the iPod for example. Back in 2000, who would have thought that in only ten years, you would be able to carry a little touch screen device that allows you to check your electronic mail, measure your heart rate or tell you where you can find the closest Italian restaurant?
Given all of the recent hype, it is easy to think that the future of dentistry also lies in digital technology. According to industry experts, the advantages seem to be at hand. Tooth restorations and replacements, for example, will be less time consuming for the patient, saver and much more reliable.
However, while digital technology is a welcome advancement in most fields of dentistry, it is far from being a revolutionary paradigm shift. It may improve office efficiency or be useful for practice marketing, but it is not likely to make better dentists. The fundamentals of the profession basically remain the same. Whether these technologies will become a must-have for dental practices in the years to come will depend on their affordability and whether insurance companies are willing to reimburse treatment concepts based on them.
As a dental news company, we cannot turn a blind eye to these developments. With a new specialist title called CAD/CAM the international magazine of digital dentistry to be released this spring, we aim to inform you about the latest trends in all fields of digital dentistry. Therefore, the range of topics will include not only CAD/CAM, but also digital imaging or software processing.
If you are interested in receiving a sample copy, we invite you to check our website or visit our booths at all major dental trade shows this year.
Time to show solidarity with Haiti
By Dr Adolfo Rodríguez, FOLA (Guest commentary)
The earthquake that struck Haiti in January will be remembered for a long time. Its devastating magnitude has spread desolation amongst the population and resulted in the gravest crisis in Haiti’s history, leaving behind a completely destroyed country with little likelihood of recovery without assistance. As the first Latin American nation, Haiti gained independence from France in 1804. Even before disaster struck on 12 January 2010, it had suffered deeply from poverty and political unrest. It is the duty of developed nations to help rebuild this nation so that our Haitian brothers can look forward to a new and improved country.
Many of our colleagues in Haiti have lost everything: family, work, resources and, even worse, hope. The dental profession cannot be oblivious to this reality. The Latin American Dental Federation (FOLA) has launched an international campaign to assist dental colleagues in Haiti by providing resources to rebuild their lives and their professional practices. FOLA, FDI, Dental Tribune and dentists from all over Latin America are making great efforts to collect instruments, materials and equipment to restore oral-health services in Haiti. We hope you also join us in this effort.
We are also planning a dental congress in the Dominican Republic to collect funds for the reconstruction of Haiti.
Dr Samuel Prophet, the President of the Association Dentaire Haitienne, wrote in an e-mail from Port-au-Prince to Dental Tribune Latin America: “Knowing that FOLA, FDI and Dental Tribune will help dentists in Haiti is great news because it gives us hope!”
This is a call to cooperate with us to help those who have been left without work or resources. Now is the time to show solidarity with our Haitian colleagues.
