Welcome to the virtual home of the Second District Valley Forge Dental Association of Pennsylvania. The Second District is comprised of the combined membership of the dentists from three local dental societies: Chester/Delaware Dental Society, Lehigh Valley Dental Society and the Montgomery/Bucks Dental Society. The Second District has the largest membership of the ten geographic districts that make up the Pennsylvania Dental Association. The ongoing activities and programs sponsored by the Second District are designed to meet the needs of the approximately 1500 member dentists and the public that they serve.
This website serves as a resource for the dentists in Second District regarding the schedule of events, current news, history and recent happenings in organized dentistry.
President's Blog - Winter 2013
Ah, yes, winter is upon us. The fall election is a distant memory, and the busy holiday season is history. Now we face the snow, cold, ice and lifelessness of the next couple of months. Unless you love winter sports, can it be any worse?
But wait – after winter comes spring, a time of renewal forthe earth. Buds will be emerging in the trees, flowers will be blooming, birds will be returning and the days will grow longer and warmer. And even better, the Valley Forge Dental Conference will be here!
2013 is a license renewal year for Pennsylvania dentists, and
what better way to get those last minute CE requirements
fulfilled than to travel the short distance to Valley Forge? This
year’s lineup of speakers is terrific and there is something for
everyone.
The theme of this year’s program is “Jazz Up Your Practice”.
I love music and grew up listening to portable transistor radios
in the early 1960s. The genre that I enjoy the most is Classic
Rock (which some people now call “oldies” – yuck).
Technology evolved over the years from vinyl records to eight
track tapes, cassettes, CDs, and now digital music (with vinyl
making a come back!). But the music of the late 60s and early
70s continues to be strong. I’m really surprised at how many
young people (like my three sons) know so many bands and
songs from that era. It just proves to me how timeless these
songs and artists have become.
Just as technology changed, my musical interests also grew.
True classical music (Mozart, Bach, etc.) drew my attention for
a while, and 90s grunge rock also appealed to me. My
youngest son, Daniel, had a band for a while that played mostly
blues, so I started to gravitate towards that style of music as
well. It took me a little while to figure out that a lot of those
great Classic Rock bands of the 60s and 70s played a good deal
of blues music. The Doors, The Allman Brothers and Eric
Clapton are just some of the groups that played that style. So
when it came time to choose a theme for this year’s Valley
Forge Conference, I wanted to focus on music. “Jazz Up Your
Practice” combines the element of a musical theme with our
desire to make your practice the best it can be.
Like each individual member of a musical group, all of our
team members in our offices play a vital part in making our
practices succeed. There is not one course in this year’s line-up
that your assistant, hygienist, or front desk staff shouldn’t
attend. Every course is designed to make you and your team
more productive and successful so you can provide the best
care for your patients.
On Wednesday we have Dr. Howard Glazer speaking about
materials and techniques. We are continuing our New Dentist
member benefit by offering this course at 50% off our regular
fee. Immediately afterwards, all New Dentist members are
invited to a special reception from 4:00 PM to 5:30 PM. Also
on Wednesday we have Dr. John Suzuki speaking on
periodontics and implants, and Dr. Henry Lee will speak on
forensics. All attendees of Dr. Lee’s course will receive his
book, “Cracking Cases, The Science of Solving Crimes” which
he will autograph in the exhibit hall.
Thursday starts out with Dr. Ed Feinberg on the management
of difficult restorative cases. Dr. Scott DeRossi offers two halfday
courses on non-odontogenic pain and on oral medicine.
And Dr. Kirk Behrendt will present a full day lecture on
practice management – especially important in these tough
economic times. Thursday is also the start of our two-day
lecture and hands-on series on Botox Training and Dermal
Fillers by the American Academy of Facial Esthetics. This was
a very popular program last year and we are pleased to present
it again. On Thursday, we are offering a two-day lecture and
hands-on course in Nitrous Oxide Single Dose Sedation by
DOCS Education.
On Friday, Dr. Tieraona Low Dog presents two half-day
programs on Health and Well Being (AM session) and Nutrition
for the Dental Team (PM session). You techies out there will
love hearing Dr. Paul Child speak on new technologies and
techniques to use in your practice. And we wrap up the day
with a marketing course on using Social Media by Dr. Rita
Zamora. This was a popular topic at our New Dentist
Conference in November, so we expect a good crowd for this
course as well.
The best and most economical way to see most of these
great programs (with the exception of the two two-day courses)
is to purchase our 3-Day Patriot Pass. New this year we are
offering a 2-Day Patriot Pass which provides a great discount as
well. You can choose which of the two days you would like to
attend and still see some great speakers. Take advantage of
these special savings as a member of organized dentistry.
Finally, I would like to invite everyone to our President’s
Cajun Jazz Party on Thursday night beginning at 6:00 PM in the
newly renovated Valley Forge Tavern Restaurant in the Radisson
Hotel. There will be jazz musicians and Cajun food for all to
enjoy. I promise to keep the comments to a minimum and the
enjoyment to the maximum as we celebrate a great year for our
Society and welcome in our new officers and directors for 2013.
Spring is just around the corner - I hope to see you there!