By: Howard Farran, DDS, MBA, MAGD
Publisher, Dentaltown Magazine

The smartest people in the dental industry recognize Dentaltown’s position as a microcosm of the profession. We have a rapidly growing list of members that practice all over the world. The majority of members practice in the United States, and the issues they share are real. Views and replies are tracked for every discussion on our site, and these statistics indicate the interest in a particular topic. Why is that important? Dental manufacturers value this information to guide development of products that solve your problems. Our colleagues value this information because they can quickly find solutions to problems, and comfort in the fact that they “will never practice solo again.”

May 2006 marked the launch of a fresh, improved look for Dentaltown.com and our new portal, Docere.com. This change was driven by your feedback and our long-term plans for additional communities. We have written the message board software from scratch to allow for customization that best fits the needs of our community. The initial glitches, common with any new software, have been identified and corrected. If there is something we have missed, or you need help, send us an e-mail: help@dentaltown.com, or call the office (480) 598-0001.

At the beginning of 2006 we celebrated the millionth post, the first anniversary of our free online CE module and our sixth year of publishing Dentaltown Magazine. There are over 2,200 listings in our Classified Ads section on Dentaltown.com, including equipment for sale, practices for sale and employment opportunities. The support we receive from this community is appreciated, and the annual Townie Meeting in Las Vegas is a celebration of these relationships. (See www.towniemeeting.com for details.) Our “town” has grown into a city!

One of my favorite sections on the message boards is the Case Presentations. You will find the Case Presentations in our alphabetical list of forums on Dentaltown.com. We have developed a simple format to upload photos, add captions and receive comments on your case. This is the best way to get help with a difficult treatment plan, identify an unusual lesion or share a recent success. When you post a case or comment on Dentaltown.com, there are thousands of dentists who are capable of providing feedback. Make a commitment to post a case before Thanksgiving!

If you are still shy about sharing a case from your practice, take the time to comment on cases that have already been presented. When I lecture to a group of dentists, many will tell me that they love to “lurk” on the Web site by reading about the challenges of dental practice. I encourage you to stop lurking and take the time to post your thoughts.

Take the time to post your thoughts, add comments and get involved in the conversations. We are making every effort to foster professional exchanges among members. The entire community benefits from a wealth of shared experiences.

In The Google Story, much of their success is credited to a “…culture [that] fosters a laserlike focus on serving the best interests of Google users.” This point is not lost on the team at Dentaltown, and we have made the improvements described as a result of user feedback. I would ask you to share your comments, feedback and suggestions with me via e-mail: howard@dentaltown.com. While I cannot personally respond to every message, I will be certain your feedback is reviewed by our entire team.

Please stay tuned for more terrific improvements to our site in the coming months. We are making great strides to develop Dentaltown.com into the ultimate online dental resource.