Through networking and collaboration, innovative answers can be found for challenging questions that develop in everyday conversation. These crucial conversations are the future of the dental hygiene profession. Dentistry is fortunate to have so many fantastic mentors. It continues to amaze me that each time I attend a meeting I find an opportunity to sit, have a beer, and learn more than I could have ever dreamed while having so much fun. This is part of the reason I try not to miss the larger meetings like Chicago Midwinter.
Larger meetings provide me with an opportunity to see long-time friends, meet many new friends, connect with new corporate faces, and discuss possible opportunities with corporations of which I am already familiar. Wednesday evening I ate dinner with two separate companies at my Oral Health America Gala table - Crown Seating and Isolite Systems. I was very familiar with Crown Seating products, as they are the makers of my cherished saddle clinical stool. Isolite was a company I had not though about in awhile, but in speaking with their family at the gala table, I developed a new curiosity for some new ideas. Thursday and Friday I spent some time at their booth playing with their new technology in high vac suction.
The networking spark is hard to explain. It renews the feeling of "new" I have in clinical practice. Meeting new friends, seeing new ideas put into reality, or discussing a new idea that is still a very abstract concept - it all reminds me that times continue to change. It also leaves me to wonder what is around the corner. I suppose the only way I will find out what is there is by coming back the next time; yet it does not break my heart that I will just have to go back again :)
Larger meetings provide me with an opportunity to see long-time friends, meet many new friends, connect with new corporate faces, and discuss possible opportunities with corporations of which I am already familiar. Wednesday evening I ate dinner with two separate companies at my Oral Health America Gala table - Crown Seating and Isolite Systems. I was very familiar with Crown Seating products, as they are the makers of my cherished saddle clinical stool. Isolite was a company I had not though about in awhile, but in speaking with their family at the gala table, I developed a new curiosity for some new ideas. Thursday and Friday I spent some time at their booth playing with their new technology in high vac suction.
The networking spark is hard to explain. It renews the feeling of "new" I have in clinical practice. Meeting new friends, seeing new ideas put into reality, or discussing a new idea that is still a very abstract concept - it all reminds me that times continue to change. It also leaves me to wonder what is around the corner. I suppose the only way I will find out what is there is by coming back the next time; yet it does not break my heart that I will just have to go back again :)
