Editor's Note Carol Murphy, Executive Editor

Memories of December 31st, 1999 have not yet faded even though three years have passed. I was busy running from computer to computer in our office backing up every piece of important data in preparation for the dawn of a new millennium and the impending doom of Y2K. In the midst of the chaos, a new breed of magazine was sitting on my desk, one that has evolved to offer a very unique form of dental information.

Back then the message boards on the website were still in the testing phase and the term ‘Townie’ had yet to be coined. I don’t believe anyone involved with the ‘early’ days ever adequately imagined the powerful connectivity of the Internet. Now we have almost 15,000 dental professionals who are registered and reaping the benefits of the real-time exchange of information. It is incredibly satisfying to hear from dentists who say DentalTown has literally changed the way they practice.

Everyone I’ve talked to is so excited about DentalTown’s upcoming extravaganza. Howard, our Publisher, is closing his Today’s Dental practice and bringing everyone from both the practice and magazine to share in this momentous occasion. So far, over 500 dentists and staff members have made their reservations and the number keeps growing daily. If you haven’t made your reservation yet, I urge you to visit www.towniemeeting.com or see page 65 for more information. From the excitement that is already building, I know this will be an event talked about for years to come.

Our corporate profile this month spotlights a company most of you are very familiar with, Ivoclar Vivadent. Headquartered in Amherst, New York, this company is a worldwide leader in the development and distribution of hundreds of clinically tested products. In addition to being a leader in North America, Ivoclar Vivadent distributes dental products to more than 100 countries throughout the world.

Ivoclar Vivadent has a prestigious lineup of restorative systems—BPS, Targis/Vectris and IPS Empress. And now, they are proud to introduce their latest innovation, a new fluorapatite glass-ceramic system called IPS d.SIGN. This system has all the strength and durability of a traditional PFM. What makes it very unique is its incredible lifelike aesthetic appearance and ability to mimic natural dentition’s wearability. After experiencing this amazing restorative you may find yourself telling your lab, “Give me a d.FM rather than a PFM. Complete details on IPS d.SIGN begin on page 10.

As we all prepare to celebrate the holidays and welcome a new year, I would like to take this opportunity to extend a heartfelt thanks to all of you for your continued interest and contributions to the magazine and website.

The entire staff of DentalTown wishes you and yours a happy and very prosperous new year.