Technician As Knowledge Czar

The current economic turmoil--which many predict will affect our growth through 2010--has created a ravine through an otherwise positive trend line in our well-regarded industry.

While the economy is affecting the entire industry, it's having the greatest impact on cosmetic, want-based dentistry which, until recently, had been in great demand.

Likewise, since innovation and adoption require a strong economic backdrop, the rate at which new technologies are adopted will likely slow over the next couple of years. That said, technology and manufacturers' stream of ideas and product launches will ultimately prevail, creating new opportunities for dental laboratories.

In the 1980s, many people speculated that fax machines and e-mail would have meant the end for FedEx. But, in fact, the Internet and online shopping have created a boom for the company that once relied heavily on shipping the overnight letter. Today, much of dental laboratory...