Editor's Note Carol Murphy, Executive Editor

Something unusual happened a few days ago while I was selecting a movie at the video store. I was standing a few feet away from the new releases section when a teenager walked in front of me and said, "Excuse me." It got my attention because it had been a long time since I could remember a teenager with such manners. A few minutes later, another person stepped in front of me and softly said, "Excuse me." And then it struck me…the epiphany…people in general had become more considerate, kinder and quieter over the past week. I flashed back to people holding doors for me and making polite conversation in line at the grocery store. Everything reminded me of a kinder and simple lifestyle exemplified in television sitcoms of the 1950’s like Andy Griffith and Leave it to Beaver. It wasn’t hard however to understand the change.

Every person and profession has in some way been affected by the recent American tragedy. The dental industry, like so many other professions, lost a true leader. Thomas Burnett Jr., former president of Calcitek (Sulzer Dental) died along with 45 others after United Flight 93 crashed in western Pennsylvania. You may have heard about Tom because he has been identified as one of those responsible for thwarting another destructive attack on a US landmark. His resolve was relayed in a brief phone call to his wife moments before Flight 93 crashed.

Photo courtesy: www.mpr.org

Tom's bravery has prompted many around the nation to call him a hero. Over 50 people lined the street outside St. Edwards Catholic Church before Tom's funeral in his native state of Minnesota.

We may never know exactly what devastation Tom and other courageous passengers saved our country from, but I'm sure all Americans will be eternally grateful for their bravery and patriotism.

Moderator Tony Gallegos, DDS, in a recent post on the DentalTown message boards, requested a call for dental colleagues to change. Here, in part, is his message: “It should be our resolve to come together to conquer this evil. It is time to stop wrongfully criticizing each other or the work of fellow colleagues. It’s time to open the doors of our offices and become "true" colleagues to one another. We aren't enemies or competitors. Do we really think that we have trade secrets? This attitude that has prevailed for so long stems from fear, misunderstanding, and distrust. It has served to make the dental profession dysfunctional. So call two colleagues (not your specialists) in your own community and schedule a lunch. Don't just sit there staring at one another. Talk about ways to improve oral health in your community and how you can help each other work towards a common goal. Let's commit to some action. We can't help but grow."

Tom Burnett's last words to his wife were "we've got to do something" after hearing about the tragedy at the World Trade Center.

I think we've already begun.