Howard Speaks By: Howard Farran, DDS, MBA, MAGD
Publisher, DentalTown Magazine

Our first DentalTown Gathering, held February 6 - 8, 2003 in Las Vegas, was a huge success! Initially, we planned for 500 Townies but nearly 900 attended. Why? Because it was one of the only meetings where everyone knew each other before coming to the event. It was sooooo much fun meeting people in the flesh that you communicate with online almost every day! I can't tell you how many Townies who initially met on the DentalTown message boards now claim to be BEST friends.

Have you ever attended a seminar where you knew every single speaker? Almost every speaker at The First Annual DentalTown Gathering had over 1000 posts! It was so incredible to sit and listen to a speaker that you already knew better than your next- door neighbor. Everyone who attended already had a relationship with every speaker, every attendee, and every sponsor at the 45 booths.

Townies, Tarun Agarwal and Sameer Puri, DDS and their beautiful wives (Mona Agarwal, leftand Meena Puri, right) take a well-deserved break during the DentalTown Gathering

The growth of the online community has been nothing less than phenomenal. To date, over 18,053 Townies have registered on the website and 5975 Townies have logged on and posted a single question or a single answer. About 1749 have done this five or more times. Between 4000 and 5000 dentists log on every day to read these questions and answers. Approximately 225 Townies have posted 100 times or more, 46 Townies have posted over 500 times and 35 Townies have posted over 1000 times.

In May, 1999, we started the DentalTown online community with the goal that no dentist should ever have to practice solo again! Now, three years later, we have truly achieved our goal. It is so inspirational to watch dentists log on and post about a problem regarding a patient in the chair. Within minutes, five different people from five different states are giving advice on what they would do in a similar situation. From post-operative complications, sensitivity, and root canal flare-ups, to personal problems, such as divorce and addiction, everyone is sharing and caring at www.DentalTown.com.

Tarun Agarwal, DDS and Sameer Puri, DDS, who initially met on the website, coordinated the entire 3-day event and proved to be incredible seminar organizers. I’m sure all the Townies who attended join me in thanking both of our colleagues and their wives for their outstanding contribution.

I was particularly impressed when Tarun told me what he believes differentiates the DentalTown Gathering from other dental seminars. He said other well-known lecturers say they have pearls, gems, nuggets or diamonds of knowledge to share. Tarun said the Townie meeting offered PRACTICE PEANUTS! Why peanuts? Because in a way that's what DentalTown is all about! Peanuts!!! Simple little ideas that don't cost a ton of money, but make practicing dentistry easier! If Southwest airlines can be profitable using peanuts, why can't DentalTown?

Here are some of the PRACTICE PEANUTS Townies said they received from attending the Las Vegas meeting.

Keith White, DMD said, “Rod Kurthy’s bleaching technique was a HUGE peanut for me and John Kanca's pictures of cross sectioned teeth illustrating how PULSE CURING reduces enamel stresses really got me moving–I pulse cured all day long today!”

CletusTheSlackJawDDS (his online screen name) reported his meeting peanut came from Mac Lee. Mac sat his staff down and asked them "what was the purpose of this practice?" After the staff gave him a bunch of health, caring and cosmetic answers he made their mission clear by stating, "The purpose of this practice is to make me money. If this business fails it is my butt on the line, you can go out and find another job tomorrow. When something goes wrong it is my butt on the line." He went on to say that he took all the liability and gets paid for it. If an employee does something wrong the liability is his. Because of the liability factor, what the doctor says is what is done; no questions, no omissions, no additions. I think we all need to remember that we are not here to babysit patients and employees, provide jobs, or give away free care. We are businessmen and businesswomen, who have studied and worked hard and now want to provide for ourselves and our families. Everything else should be secondary.

But in conclusion, I think Mark Collins, (a.k.a. Desert Rat), said it best when he said, "I picked up more peanuts from people outside the lectures. There were a lot of people and everyone had something good to share. My practice and life will be forever changed as a result of this meeting and every moment spent at DentalTown."