Welcome to 2021, and I hope we will all be seeing a bright new year. Enough has been written and said about you know what, and now we must get back on track. It has been an honor to have worked with Dr. Damon Adams for these past years, and he has taught me a lot about dentistry as well as the inner workings of the publishing side of a dental magazine. Since the beginning of Y2K, I have made my presence felt in these pages with at least one technology column every month (more than 240, but who’s counting?), each topped with a song title. This new column’s title represents my beginnings here and is an homage to Chicago (the virtual 156th Midwinter Meeting and the band). I have also taken the podium at meetings large and small—this past year virtually, of course. My friends are tired of seeing my face “all over the place,” but I guess it will continue here. My lecturing has changed to an online presence during the past year, but I won’t give up on my quest to bring information to all of you. Although my passion has always been on dentistry’s technology side, I have been in general practice for more than 40 years doing everything from sealants and prophys to reconstructions of the dentition and hope to continue as long as I am able. When my patients ask me if I think about retirement, I often say, “When I lose my enthusiasm for dentistry, stop coming.” Those who know me at all will state that this passion defines me.
Not everything I have studied plugs into a wall and has flashing LEDs. My roots in biochemistry, physics, math, and computer science also gave me a good sense of materials, leading me to drive the manufacturers’ reps crazy. My goal here is to continue to bring practical clinical information to the dental community that is easily understood and simply implemented in your everyday practices, both in print and online. The latter will be enhanced and allow the expansion of articles that you read here. You will continue to see familiar names, but I also hope to expand our authors to include many new rising stars as well as unknowns from around the country and around the world. I have had the luxury of traveling and meeting people who are hidden away in their small practices doing amazing things with only their patients knowing about them. I hope to bring many of them to you.
I am thrilled that my first issue’s cover story contains a groundbreaking, and understated, interesting case from Dr. Joseph J. Massad and a team of specialists. It is just amazing. We also have some great clinical tips in this issue, and if you are looking to see some more topics in the future, let me know, and I will make a few calls, texts, messages, zooms, or whatever it takes.
