ADA 2014 coverage; Levin on sales reps; Sirona and BU enter historic agreement

Dear DrBicuspid Member,

The American Dental Association (ADA) 2014 annual meeting opened on Thursday, with approximately 21,000 dental professionals and thousands of exhibitors in attendance on a very humid and warm day in Texas. Here are a few highlights from the opening day, including the presentation of some DrBicuspid.com 2014 Dental Excellence Awards.

The meeting continued on Friday, with a crowded exhibit floor, dozens of continuing education offerings, and more Dental Excellence Awards. Here are a few highlights from Friday.

Sirona Dental Systems and the Boston University Henry M. Goldman School of Dental Medicine (GSDM) have entered into an agreement that will enable GSDM to become the first all-digital dental school in the U.S. They announced the news at the ADA 2014 annual meeting. Read more about this groundbreaking agreement here.

Many doctors view sales representatives as distractions in an otherwise productive day. However, sales reps can provide useful information to dental practices. No one else in the industry possesses such leading-edge knowledge of the latest advances that can improve the experience of dentists, staff, and patients, according to Dr. Roger P. Levin.

In a new national survey released last week, 75% of parents reported that their kids sometimes or frequently forget to brush their teeth. To help parents better understand why ignoring dental health can have serious consequences, the Ad Council and the Partnership for Healthy Mouths, Healthy Lives have created new public service ads for the Kids' Healthy Mouths campaign. Read more here.

In a new column separate from his latest series, consultant Thomas Climo, PhD, revisits the question of how do dental practice owners get the best price for their practice when they are considering selling. Looking at recent economic research, he urges dental practice owners to consider their options to get the best price.

DrBicuspid.com will continue to bring you coverage of the ADA 2014 annual meeting this week with clinical articles, highlights, and a Dental Excellence Awards wrap-up. If you were in San Antonio, I'm curious what your impressions were of the annual meeting.