A Season of Change

As we approach a new season and the light at the end of the tunnel seems within reach, our nation is hopefully beginning to feel more optimistic about our future. As our By The Numbers page this month shows, dental practices are finally approaching their typical pre-pandemic volumes, which is good news for everyone involved with dentistry. With this optimism comes a desire to explore new possibilities in our lives as well as in our professions. Most, if not all of us, have experienced some type of pause in our social lives as well as our careers and businesses in the past year and are now seeking to make up for lost time as the world returns to a sense of normalcy.

Those of you who have read my previous editorials or seen me lecture are most likely aware of my relentless focus on the need for furthering our education as dental technicians in order to remain viable now and into the future. Now, more than ever, knowledge is essential. Along with a new breed of emerging dentists and advancing technology, we as technicians must strive to further our education to meet the changing demands of our patients and advancements constantly being made in our professions. As dental schools' curricula evolve, the graduates emerging into the profession have different needs, many of which can be met by knowledgeable and assertive dental laboratories.

With this in mind, I fully encourage all those of us who have been on pause to look ahead with confidence toward the possibility of advancing our education and expanding our work. I suggest accomplishing this by seeking out in-person forums, once they are safely available, as well as continuing to take advantage of the plethora of online lectures that will continue even after the pandemic. Once in-person events return in full force, there will be more educational opportunities in different formats than ever before. The timing is perfect for dental technicians to reap the benefits and make themselves even more valuable members of the dental team.

From my own personal experience, I greatly welcome the opportunity to meet and learn from all of you again as we did in the past—with perhaps a little more insight this time around.

Peter Pizzi, MDT, CDT
Editor-in-Chief
ppizzi@aegiscomm.com