Final thoughts on an IDS Thursday

Hello to all. First, thanks for reading my blogs from Cologne. I appreciate the comments and updates. I also appreciate those of you who have added me as a Twitter friend.

Today was a day when I wanted to concentrate on walking the halls and gaining an overall feel for the show, including general mood and what products seemed to draw the biggest crowds. I will tell you that, without doubt, you can't look far without seeing either implants or CAD\CAM. I am amazed how CAD\CAM has exploded since I attended my first IDS in 2001. I was having dinner tonight with a friend from Sirona and he talked about the sheer number of companies offering the technology. It really is stunning.

I talked to a columnist for Dental Economics earlier today who told me he was most impressed with ... no not CAD\CAM ... no, not a high-tech piece of equipment ... but mirrors. He had found a mirror that spun and kept dry (which I believe he said was going for around $1,000) and another that had suction attached to it. He was very excited about these mirrors ... which may be the first time that sentence has ever been typed.

I did a video interview this afternoon with Doris de Beer, who wrote the cover story for the March issue of Proofs. We talked about the Chinese dental market and the opportunities that may be there for Western companies. I hope to have the interview up within a couple of weeks (the travel schedule is getting in the way of my video production).

Overall, I will tell you that traffic is very heavy here. If you've never been to this show, you can't imagine the sheer volume of people who are walking the exhibit halls. Any concerns about the economy certainly haven't dissuaded people from coming to Cologne. Just seeing the number of people from so many countries has really re-established this as THE show for product launches and deal-making between dealers and manufacturers.

And what draws the biggest crowds? Easily hands-on demonstrations and live dentistry, including implant placement. People love to see the products in action.

Tomorrow, I have a video shoot scheduled with Midmark's Eric Shirley, talking about the Progeny deal. As indicated earlier, Midmark is certainly excited about the deal for more reasons than just dental. It's a great entry into the other markets, and is another well-executed Midmark move.

Until tomorrow...