Second Opinion By Thomas Giacobbi, DDS, FAGD, Editorial Director, Dentaltown Magazine

I am pleased to introduce a new feature to Dentaltown Magazine. Second opinions are common in healthcare; whether a doctor is sorting out a difficult case or a patient is not sure what to do next. In the context of our magazine, the first opinion will always belong to the reader. No matter what issue or topic we present, you will already have an opinion. This feature will allow fellow dentists to share their opinions on various topics, providing you with a “Second Opinion.” Some of the dentists will be very well known, and others may be unknown. Each one is your colleague and he or she deserves your attention. Perhaps some of these dentists’ observations will change your mind; while others will solidify your position. In the end, our goal is to create discussion and debate to enrich our profession. After all, we are the largest online community in dentistry.

You never know where life will lead you. Some will dismiss this as a corny sentiment, but I have worked with many people over the years and met many young patients who have no plan in life. People who walk around saying, “I don’t know what to do,” or “So-and-so is successful because they are lucky.” There’s a little bit of luck in everyone’s life, but luck alone will not make you successful. For instance, I worked on a biweekly newspaper in college, but never dreamed of a position as Editorial Director of a dental trade publication.

For the last 18 months I have worked quietly in the background, but we at Dentaltown operate a very transparent organization and you should know a bit more about the person who selects the content for this magazine––me.

I had plans to become an orthodontist since high school, but general dentistry was more appealing by the time I finished dental school. As a senior student in dental school, I could not imagine working for Dr. Howard Farran in Phoenix, Arizona. I had never lived outside of New York State! When I started dental school, I never imagined life married to another dentist.

My eldest brother, Martin, introduced me to Howard Farran during my senior year of dental school. He loaned me his copy of The Business of Dentistry; the inspiring story of Howard’s move to Phoenix and the subsequent meteoric growth of his scratch-start practice, Today’s Dental. Howard employed many guerrilla marketing tactics, including door-to-door visits of every home in the neighborhood surrounding his new office. My brother also gave me a videotape of Howard’s lecture at the Profitable Dentist Seminar in Sandestin, Florida. If you have attended one of his lectures, you will already know that he will make you laugh, and his business knowledge is encyclopedic.

In the spring of 1995, my girlfriend Grace (now my wife) and I traveled to Phoenix to visit her sister and play some golf. We were seniors in dental school and Phoenix was an attractive place to live. Her sister only lives a couple miles from Today’s Dental and one day on our way to golf I spotted the office and pointed it out to Grace. A year later Grace and I traveled from Albany, New York to attend the ADA meeting in Orlando, Florida; this was the tail end of our 10 day honeymoon! Such dentists! I recognized Howard at the front desk of our hotel and introduced myself; he was friendly and patient as I quizzed him about Phoenix and the business of dentistry. Two years later Grace and I moved to a Phoenix suburb called Chandler.

I worked for nearly two years in an office owned by Cigna Dental while we settled into the area and decided if we would stay. When I was ready to move on, I sent Howard a letter and copy of my résumé. He called me the following week, and within a month I started the best associateship in dentistry. This was an exciting time, as Howard was in the middle of preparing Dentaltown.com for launch. Two years later my wife and I opened a scratch practice in Chandler. I continued my schedule at Today’s Dental for another year working 5-6 days per week between the two locations. Finally, I continued to work the occasional Saturday because I had so much fun with Howard.

In November of 2004, I became the Editorial Director for Dentaltown Magazine. It is my responsibility to select the editorial content for the magazine, edit the message boards to fit the magazine, develop articles with outside authors and assist the editorial team with our monthly corporate profiles. I continue to work four days a week in my dental practice with my wife, Grace. Grace and I have a very good working relationship and the balance of our time is spent at home raising three beautiful children.

The most rewarding aspect of this position is the continued praise for this powerful, unique community that is Dentaltown. Howard frequently receives e-mail from dentists across the world sharing words of appreciation for this vast resource. I have personally added many products and techniques to my practice simply based on the recommendation of a fellow Townie.

This month Drs. Sameer Puri and Tarun Agarwal will host the Fourth Annual Townie Meeting in Las Vegas. This event is part dental meeting and part family reunion; including the crazy relatives. Our motto since the beginning has been: “No dentist will practice solo again.” In some respects, this community can feel like the largest group practice in the world. Dentists are sharing cases, asking questions and offering buying advice. The annual meeting is a chance to put faces with names and have a great time. I will look forward to meeting you there.

Finally, the feedback that we receive is valuable to our mission. If you would like to ask a question, make a point or add to the discussion; visit Dentaltown.com where we have created links to everything that appears in the magazine. Please feel free to contact me directly with your comments, suggestions or requests for new features in the magazine and/or on the Web site. My e-mail address: tom@dentaltown.com.