Wis. Dental Association: State Dental Meeting to Welcome Craig Culver, Other Well-Known Business, Oral Health Care Speakers

CONTACT: Carol S. Weber, APR, Director of Public Relations

PHONE: 414-755-4108 (direct); 414-315-9321 (cell)

E-MAIL: cweber@wda.org

Three-Day Event Sets Guest Room Revenue Record for Association

WEST ALLIS, WIS. – More than 1,500 dental professionals, staff and students from seven states will converge on the Kalahari Waterpark Resort & Convention Center in Wisconsin Dells on May 3 – 5, 2006 for the Wisconsin Dental Association’s (WDA) 136th Jewel of the Great Lakes Wisconsin Dental Meeting.

The first-time Dells destination is proving a big draw for dentists’ families, with at least 530 children expected to take advantage of local recreational facilities and specially-planned WDA events. The three-day meeting will set a record with 1,100 sleeping room nights booked in four area hotels – the most guest room revenue ever to be brought into a community by any WDA activity.

Dentists and other meeting participants will choose from several dozen continuing education topics including endodontics and aesthetic dentistry, the rising demand for which is fueled by aging baby boomers. Courses on early detection and treatment of periodontal diseases, a theme currently being promoted via the WDA healthy choices “Brush and Floss or Else…” public awareness program, are also offered.

An internationally-recognized expert on dental X-rays will help attendees understand what is “developing” in that area. The dental profession’s ongoing commitment to office safety and patient comfort will be the focus of an Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) presentation and a hands-on course on delivering painless injections.

Dental team members can also hear from pediatric dentistry specialists about the newest techniques for creating positive dental exam experiences for their youngest patients.

A motivational presentation at 7:30 p.m. on May 3 by Wisconsin’s own Craig Culver, chief executive officer of Culver Franchising System, Inc., will be followed by a “Welcome to the Dells” custard social co-sponsored with Sauk Juneau Adams County Dental Society.

It will be standing-room only at 8 a.m. on May 4 when Erik Wahl presents his keynote address – “The Art of Vision”. Audience members will be paying close attention to Wahl’s entertaining and practical presentation on how to harness business innovation for greater productivity and profitability, while watching him paint a stunning picture upside down! Wahl’s collectable paintings are highly sought after and displayed in executive offices around the world.

No WDA annual meeting is complete without visiting the exhibit hall and checking out the latest in state-of- the-art dental products and services. The 2006 Jewel exhibit hall will be filled to capacity with more than 140 booths featuring 110 vendors from across the country. This includes 34 Wisconsin-based firms who will have representatives on hand to explain everything from how to choose the best toothbrush for an individual’s particular oral health needs to designing ergonomically and environmentally safe dental facilities to the latest innovations in materials and techniques for diagnosing dental diseases and filling cavities.

Established in 1870, the Wisconsin Dental Association (WDA) is headquartered in West Allis. With more than 2,900 members statewide, the WDA represents the vast majority of practicing dentists in Wisconsin. Its members are committed to promoting professional excellence and quality oral health care. The WDA is one of 53 constituent (state-territorial) dental societies of the American Dental Association – the largest and oldest national dental association in the world. For more information on the WDA, call 414-276-4520 or visit http://www.wda.org.

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Dear Editors and News Directors, here are just a few of the stories and interview opportunities available at the upcoming Jewel of the Great Lakes Wisconsin Dental Meeting:

Oral Health

• Endodontics – growing demand as aging baby boomers fight to retain their own teeth

• Advances in restorative and aesthetic dental care – important to overall health and growing patient expectations for the “perfect smile”

• X-rays – the importance of this common medical tool to modern, accurate dental diagnosis

• “Brush and Floss or Else…Risk Gum Disease and Heart Disease” – the importance of good oral hygiene to a person’s overall health

Consumer Awareness

• How to choose the right dentist for you and your family

• How dentists are helping individuals overcome dental phobia (e.g., painless injections, better service, improving patient-doctor communications)

Business

• Craig Culver – homegrown business guru

• Erik Wahl – differentiating your company from the competition while increasing productivity and profits

• Dr. Steven Rasner – building and managing a top dental practice (or other small business) despite high local unemployment and bleak economy

• Dental insurance: valuable tool for recruiting employees and controlling health care costs