Welcome to our issue on "corporate dentistry," where you will see "corporate dentistry" in quotes over and over and over. That's because the term "corporate dentistry" has taken on so many meanings that, in our opinion, it's hardly a meaningful term anymore. The quotation marks indicate a disconnect between what people talk about and what "corporate dentistry" actually is.
Oh, you know what I'm talking about. "Corporate dentistry" is the subject you don't bring up with relatives at dental dinner table. Just like "politics" or "religion," when the dental world talks about "corporate dentistry," there isn't a lot of critical thinking, just a lot of blustering and tired opinions.
Yes, it's time for a "corporate dentistry" refresher-a reexamination of "that which we think we know." It's time for us to see if familiar ground is, in fact, still friendly.
In putting together this issue, we've found that the "corporate dentistry" of two years ago isn't what it is today. There are more business models. Some of the old business models have gone away. There are more players in the market, and not all of them want world domination. Dentistry has changed. Patients have changed. What dentists want has changed. In fact, everything has changed . . . except, perhaps, what most of us think we know.
I'm keeping this editor's note short and sweet so you'll dive into the issue. Here are the highlights: You'll find an executive brief on "corporate dentistry" by Kevin Cain, PhD, MBA, perspective from people on the inside, reader survey results, and an exclusive interview with one of the most scrutinized CEOs in the biz. In short, we've given you an "easy button" for reexamining your opinion about one of the most contentious issues in dentistry. I hope you take advantage.
Zac kulsrud | Chief Editor
P.S. Special thanks to Erin Robinson, who did the heavy lifting on this issue. Now go get some sleep, Erin.
P.P.S. There are other goodies in this issue, too. For example, IDS is one year away. Get ready on page 45.
