Last week, Ultradent hosted a group of bright young men and women from various backgrounds and specialties for a full day of training related to public speaking, photography and PowerPoint presentations. The meeting stemmed from a idea of Tufts University’s Dr. Gerard Kugel. He recognized the need to provide education on the “basics” for new speakers. The group of individuals we hosted last week consisted of under-represented sects of the population which are coincidentally under-represented on the current lecture circuit. As a company, Ultradent will always support the concept of education and visibility for those who faced with any disadvantage. The first day of the conference was managed by Dr. Gary Genard, President of Public Speaking International (www.publicspeakinginternational.com). We often assume that public speaking is a natural component of education but this is rarely the case. I’ve found that it is an art like any other that must be mastered through continual practice. Dr. Genard has decided to specialize in the dental industry with tips and techniques on everything from case presentations to lectures in front of an audience. The second presenter was Dr. Greg Lutke who specializes in photography and PowerPoint. Dr. Gregory Lutke graduated from Baylor College of Dentistry in 1985 and maintains a private practice in Plano, Texas. He is the Founder and CEO of Dallas Dental Solutions (www.dental-solutions.com), a digital hands-on facility where attendees experience hands-on courses on digital communication technology as it relates to dentistry. Attendees of Dr. Lutke’s course learn how to communicate complex multi-disciplinary cases to patients in a simple and easy to understand format. The end result is also a transformation to a digital office. Dr. Kugel and I joined forces the last day to offer suggestions for getting into the lecture circuit. Collectively, we’ve found that opportunities result from participation in study clubs, tradeshows and publishing to name a few. We both share the same advice for success - the importance of staying honest and having a desire to give back and share the information with others. Overall, this was an exciting time spent with potential future “voices” of dentistry. For sure we must pay attention to the future. My daughter Dr Jessop is a gifted and wonderful dentist. It is enjoyable to see how she grows with each lecture she gives. And, I must say that it is fun to co-present with her. The youth in dentistry bring a new and fresh dimension but women also do. Fun stuff!!