First, I beg forgiveness of the great Spirit of Hawaii for mangling her (his?) treasured salutation "Aloha!" with an attempt at a cutesy pun like "Endoloha!" But after wrapping up my second co-travel/ridealong with Kay Kusumoto, Ultradent's Hawaii TAM, it is my desire to shout to the towering white clouds racing across the blue skies above Waikiki: "Uhhhhhh looooooow ha!" What a lovely place. What lovely people. Hawaii -- and the dentists, hygienists, staff and professionals that comprise its dental community -- embodies everything Ultradent tries to stand for in the dental profession. Namely, loyalty, friendliness, open-mindedness, zeal, youthful fervor, a love of the craft, and so on.

Kay Kusumoto and I presented a "CE in a box" program at the office of Dr. Ilyk and Dr. Ito in a high-rise in downtown Honolulu. The group consisted mostly older dentists with a lot of experience -- and many of them were still using traditional endo methods like hand filing and lateral condensation. The very next night, we were honored to present our message to a group that was quite the opposite: young dentists, who were ALL using engine-driven endo systems of one kind or another. Both programs were successful in converting some of the attendees to the minimally invasive, anatomically sensitive endodontic methodology presented by Ultradent. But more than that, the two events were instrumental in building bridges of understanding with these kind-hearted, generous, warm friends in the dental community.

I raise my pineapple in salute of Kay Kusumoto and her clients and friends on the islands of Hawaii. To all of you, I shout a hearty and hale "MAHALO!"