Star of the North 2014 - Thanks for a great show!

Well, the much anticipated Star of the North meeting has once again come to an end. It is always a great time to visit with some familiar faces, meet new dental professionals, and hear the latest buzz surrounding the MN dental community.  The meeting allows us to be a part of a weekend where so many people in the dental industry come together to better themselves, and in return better the community as a whole.

Renstrom has been an exhibitor of the Star of the North for over 40 years now. As much as things have changed throughout the years, I must believe it is the people that keep us going back each year.  The meeting gives us a chance to visit with doctors we currently work with without the distractions that take place in the office or lab.  It also gives us an opportunity to meet dental professionals we aren't currently working with, and answer any questions they might have, or offer services we might be able to provide for their practices. Then there is an extensive list of exhibitors.  As exhibitors, we are able to learn from one another about what we are seeing within the industry, and hear about the latest products and technology that are being released out into the market. 

Thursday evening kicked off with the "Exhibit Hall Premiere Night" from 4:30-8:00 pm. The night is intended to open the floor up early to dentists and their guests, so they can conduct some business in a more relaxed environment.  Rick, Ruth, Deanna, and Dr. Benson attended and were able to meet with some doctors to discuss case work and some treatment planning options they are looking to prescribe. We were fortunate enough to have Bob Irlbeck as our guest in the booth as well.  Bob is an extremely talented Removable Technician and has been Deanna's mentor throughout her dental career.  Bob helps to trouble shoot difficult cases, and is currently working on a CE course on Dentures & Partials for us later this Summer.  

Friday kicked off with the keynote speaker: Aron Ralston-127 hours, Between A Rock and a Hard Place. Throughout the day we heard nothing but excellent reviews and that it was a speaker not to miss. Rick, Deanna, Bob, and Randi started the day off in the booth, and it was a great morning full of friendly faces and positive attitudes.  I did notice there seemed to be an increase of dental students, from a wide variety of schools.  Dental students are always so friendly and seem genuinely interested in the work we provide. I always like to ask how they are liking school, because the answer is almost always they same - "I love it!".  How often do you get to hear that kind of a response from students?! It is just so great to see how positive and motivated these students are, and know the future of the dental industry is in good hands. As the morning came to an end, Rick and Bob had the opportunity to go out to lunch with a great doctor we work with out of St. Cloud. It was a gorgeous day outside, which usually means the exhibit hall quiets down after lunch as people try to catch a few hours outside if they aren't in classes. Randi caught the afternoon solo in the booth and had a great time visiting with different guests as they passed through the hall.   

Saturday brought the Exhibit Hall to a close. The day started out quiet, and from what I heard from attendees, even the CE classes were low in attendance. Although Saturday ended on a quieter note, it was still another excellent Star of the North Meeting! We would like to extend a big THANK YOU to every person who stopped by our booth.  Whether it was just to say hi, maybe you were looking to just grab a pen or candy, you had a question to ask, or you were able to spend some time hanging out with us, we appreciate everyone who stopped by, and everyone who attended the meeting. Finally, we'd like thank all those who have been working on this meeting throughout the year.  It takes so much planning, time, and dedication to arrange all the speakers and courses and make sure this meeting turns out as outstanding as it does.  

We look forward to next year, and to see what The Star of the North 2015 will bring!  

Mark your calendars - April 23-25, 2015...... See you there!  

Randi and Deanna checked out the Green Screen booth the Star of the North provided for the Exhibitor Hall.

Top: Rick, Ruth, Brian.  Bottom: Deanna, Randi, Dr. Jeff Benson: 2014 Star of the North Attendees

2014 Booth #324 Setup 

Mark Perkins at the Star of the North, around 1970

Do you know your lab?

It might seem like a silly question, but do you really know your dental laboratory? Or on the other hand, how well do you know the doctors that you are working with? Dentists and their laboratories depend on each other to make sure they reach the best outcome for their patients, so it is very important to take the time to get to know who it is you are working with.

As a lab, we feel very fortunate to work with many doctors who are located close enough to us to get to know them and keep the lines of communication open.  We do work with many doctors out of state as well, and we make sure we keep in contact with those offices via phone and email. 

Last week we were privileged with a visit from a doctor we work with out in Albany, New York.  Dr. Rosenstein flew in to Minnesota on a Thursday evening, and spent Friday visiting us in the lab.  He was able to meet the technicians he has been working with and talking to; see the lab and work environment his cases are being completed in; and discuss treatment plans and procedures with the technicians and Dr. Benson.   It was a very informative and enlightening day for both us, and Dr. Rosenstein, and we appreciate the time he took to come out and visit us!

We feel very fortunate to be able to develop relationships with our doctors, and to work with doctors who are so dedicated to their work that they take the time to get to know us. If you currently are working with us, and are interested in coming in to visit, our doors are always open! If you are not currently working with us, it might be worth a trip out to visit your lab.  It will help to get a better understanding of the behind-the-scenes look at how your cases are produced, and keep the lines of communication open.  If you are just curious as to what happens in a dental laboratory, give us a call!

The more communication that is available between a doctor and their lab, the better the outcome will be for the patient. Patient results are the ultimate goal, so take the time to really get to know the people you are working with. You will be able to learn from,  teach one another, and get even better results for you and your patient. 

Welcome to our new site!

You found our blog! Thank you for checking out our new website! We hope to use this blog to talk about current  topics we are seeing in the lab. This could be anything including:  difficult cases, technical tips, upcoming events, technician concerns,  or anything we think might be of interest to you! If you have any questions, comments, or an idea you would like to hear more about, please use the "comment" section on the bottom of the blog posts! We hope you had a chance to explore our site and possibly even learned something new about our lab.

Upcoming blog posts:

*Star of the North Dental Meeting: April 24-26: Find us at Booth #324!

*Renstrom Dental and Bramstedt Surgical partnership! Do you have a handpiece that needs repair? Give us a call and we will get you quality repairs with a quick turnaround!

*Renstrom Dental has been Full Service for 1 year! Give us a call and talk to Deanna regarding any Removable or Ortho questions you might have!

*Upcoming Denture Course with Bob Irlbeck!

Thank You for your time!

~Randi James
Office Manager