Member Login:

Current Poll

Current Issue

  • June/July 2008 Journal of Dental Technoogy (JDT)

    June/July 2008

  • JDT Unbound Exclusives
  • This Month in JDT
  • Forget a penny for your thoughts — how does $100 strike you? Become a member of our reader panel and you could win a $100 American Express gift card.

  • After 20 years in the PR business, I can tell you that getting publicity is an art, but you, as the entrepreneur, have a huge advantage because the press loves to hear about new things directly from the horse's mouth. You, as the entrepreneur, are a direct source and considered a killer scoop for a journalist.

  • It is not important to just know how to distribute a press release, but the timing and the content of the news release must be top priority. This is one of the least understood aspects of how to distribute a press release.

  • The cheapest way to turn experience into future profits is to learn from others' mistakes. With that in mind, I hope that the following examples of inappropriate crisis communications policies, culled from real-life situations, will provide a tongue-in-cheek guide about what not to do when your organization is faced with a crisis.

  • “What’s all this hullabaloo about making vendor/suppliers/subcontractors fill out an evaluation/approval form?!” Not only have I fielded questions from many of our DAMAS/Quality Connection clients, but we’ve received questions from vendors and suppliers, too! In most cases, this is a new procedure for both dental laboratories and suppliers, vendors and subcontractors.

  • Because most of your potential new customers are being bombarded with advertisements and literature, and even getting sales calls, you need to pull out all the stops and use some unconventional means for acquiring new business. I’m talking about using your vendors to give you guaranteed referrals.

  • Ms. Marketing, I have a small dental laboratory. How can I obtain the same competitive edge as the big guys? Now is the time for all small laboratories to really shine. I think that with all the new technology that has come along in a short period of time, you can now be as big as you want to advertise.

  • “Who do you want to be what for?” It is an important place to begin an economic discussion about and for dental laboratories because depending on the answer, your options, goals and objectives will be different.

  • One disadvantage of being formally educated could be that like all recent graduates I may have thought that I knew more than I did. A rude awakening comes when it takes you all day to make a bite-block. One bite-block a day isn’t going to cut it. Fortunately, I didn’t have to find that out for myself back then because I got drafted. Click here to read the June/July President's Message.

  • During the past few months, I’ve attended several state and regional dental laboratory meetings where discussions have varied between one of two topics — the economy and lead in dental restorations. Click here to read the June/July Executives Message.

  • Handy with a handpiece and an M16, today’s soldier dental technicians give you a look into how the U.S. Army teaches fresh recruits to be dental technicians and soldiers while providing restorations for troops worldwide. Click here to read an excerpt.

  • Dental technology program directors name their best and brightest. But what is amazing about these seven to watch isn’t
    how they differ, but instead, what they have in common. Click here for an excerpt.

  • An example of how modern implant technology has improved implant retained dentures, Aquileo Cortes, CDT, shares a case of implant-supported dentures. Quiz Article. Click here to read an excerpt.

  • Last year, Dr. Gordon Christensen said was quoted saying, “Veneers probably make up a third of U.S. dental lab revenues and probably a third of the veneers applied by dentists were unnecessary.” Find out what our knights have to say about Christensen’s pronouncement. Click here to read an excerpt.

  • Lead has been found in porcelain and glazes on restorations from the U.S. and other countries in varying amounts. The laboratories say they are using materials the porcelain and glaze manufacturers say are safe. So what’s the cause of this mess? Is it environmental? Is is product substitutions? Is it not following manufacturer’s recommendation? Where is the villain at whose feet we can lay the fault? Click here to read the article.

  • While the ADA and the rest of the dental community waits for the government’s response to the situation, there is a way for you to reassure your dentist clients and their patients about the quality of the materials you use in your dental laboratory. The IdentAlloy and IdentCeram programs allow you to demonstrate to your dentist clients your commitment to quality and communication. Click here to read an excerpt.

  • Take a break from thinking about your dental laboratory to consider a land where you would not be able to get your teeth cleaned professionally at all. This is a land where each dentist is responsible for 200,000 patients, and, as a result, most teeth are not even cleaned. Click here to read the article.

  • The Fun ‘N Sun Weekend is known for its continuing education and jovial spirit that dares attendees to have the best experience possible. One of the experiences golfers should be sure to enjoy is a round of golf at the Tom Fazio-designed Fallen Oak Golf Course. Click here to read the article.

  • My partner and I built our current laboratory in 1984. Back then, we wanted a space that would be practical and modern using the popular colors and materials of the time. Unfortunately, the colors were burnt orange and avocado green. There is a reason hospitals and research centers use neutral colors such as gray, white and stainless steel. Click here to read an excerpt.

  • In life, there are influential people who guide you. Many times, we don’t get a chance to tell these mentors or trailblazers exactly how much of an impact they had. NBC wants to help you do just that with the CDT of the Year Award. Click here to read the article.

  • Industry RoundupJuly 2008

    Click here to read about the latest industry happenings.