Don’t Just Survive – Thrive!

When preparing my first message of 2022, I was looking for inspiration. I found a quote by author Richelle E. Goodrich, which said, “Revitalized, I find the strength to battle new tomorrows.” She added, “This year, I survived. Next year, I will thrive!” Revitalization is a key to continuing to grow and prosper in the coming years. It means to give new life or vitality. Here at MedMark, revitalization is exactly what we concentrate on every day – for our readers and our authors, and ultimately for patients.

The focus of DSP is very close to my heart, whether it is revitalizing patients’ lives or adding new vitality to a dental practice through sleep medicine. Having battled a life-threatening sleep disorder myself, I know how important it is for patients to be able to find a diagnosis and treatment. We are honored to be a part of the future of dental sleep medicine. The American Board of Sleep Medicine (ABSM) website documents that about 7,500 board-certified sleep specialists serve approximately 325 million people in the United States. An estimated 22 million Americans have sleep apnea, but 80% of moderate and severe obstructive sleep apnea patients are undiagnosed. You can help change that statistic with information from our publication and digital opportunities to help grow dental sleep practices nationwide.

In this issue, we welcome back Dr. Steve Carstensen as Chief Dental Editor. In “Panthera Dental Poised for Dentistry 4.0,” he delves into the extraordinary Robichaud family and visionary manufacturing 4.0 processes that allow dentists to be artist-scientists. In the CE, “Mastering the Myo Merge,” Karese Laguerre, RDH, discusses creating a collaborative airway team and adding myofunctional therapy to your practice. An exciting development is a new section that cultivates a multidisciplinary approach to OSA. The section will feature articles written by the new medical editorial board, comprised of leaders in sleep medicine from varied subspecialties and led by our own Chief Medical Editor, Dr. Lee A. Surkin. In this issue, we welcome articles by Drs. Jyotsna Sahni and Scott Williams.

While we all are laser-focused on succeeding and expanding our options this year, we also should remember the importance of practicing empathy and kindness. Stories of these past 2 years of the COVID-19 pandemic taught us all that everybody has a personal and professional story that has deeply impacted their lives. Some share these challenges with the world, and some prefer to keep it personal, but in the light of what we have all gone through, part of the revitalization of 2022 will be to recognize that we need each other’s support to move forward. There are many ways to practice kindness in the dental world. Be a mentor to another dentist who has questions on technique or materials that work for you. Motivate a colleague who is just starting out or is restarting. Use your social media to be an inspiration. Call peers and suggest they read an interesting article that will help move their practice forward. Tell a few people in your personal life that you are proud of them.

Revitalization means so much, especially this year, and MedMark is proud to be a catalyst for positive change. For our readers, our articles and webinars can help you gain or change perspective and move in new directions. For manufacturers and innovators, our marketing services can bring you the attention you deserve and the recognition you seek.

Our motto this year is “Renew in 2022!” With our combined experience and insights, we can stride into the future together. For this issue, we put a new spin on the quote at the beginning of this perspective. “Last year, I survived. This year, I will thrive!”