HDT, Honorary Dental Technician

Over time things around us change. Whether for better or for worse, change is inevitable. I am, as always, honored to be a part of IDT. I must at this time commend the true heroes, our team behind the scenes, who keep the magazine running so amazingly and consistently. Over the years, the names and faces have changed, yet the magazine continues to thrive, always moving forward, trying to deliver the most useful information to our dental community.

Change is never easy, but it is a necessary part of life and business. We cannot avoid it and must embrace it as we continue to grow and strive for excellence. In our previous issue, Jason Mazda earnestly filled this page, sharing the necessary changes he has made in his life and business. I had the honor of meeting Jason years ago, and although he is moving on professionally, my image of him has not changed. I have often joked that Jason is an old school journalist, imagining him wearing a fedora on his head and carrying a pad and pen in hand, ready to gather information. And gather he did. Jason—who was not a dental technician—learned our vocabulary, our techniques, our profession, and most importantly, our people. He was one of us, and his emergence in our profession provided such a value to the dental world and especially the IDT team. I cannot begin to express how much he has contributed to the success of IDT and how much I have enjoyed our interactions. I truly hope that his next endeavor garners all that he desires for himself and his family. I am confident that he will excel because I have had the privilege of watching his propensity for growth in our own dental community. Jason is an honorary dental technician, "HDT." And yes, I am coining that phrase, but I believe he has earned it.

We experience change in our field every day; new techniques, new machinery, new equipment, new products, and of course, new faces. The younger generation emerges, utilizing this new information, hopefully to the advantage of the profession. Jason moving on in his professional life impacts all of us. He is truly a great communicator. As the faces around us change and the products and processes evolve, we must continue to work closely with our clinical partners. For this issue, Jason and I wrote the cover feature together, and I cannot stress enough that as things change throughout the industry, the one thing that will remain standard for our work in esthetics is photography. 3D imaging is upon us and will add so much value to our restorative work, but it does not yet enable us to look at some of the details found within simple facial features, such as lip dynamics, surface topography, and color. Photography provides the highest standard today and will still be an important part of our profession for years to come.

Thank you again for working together with me on this article and for all of your contributions to this great profession, Mr. Jason Mazda, HDT.

Peter Pizzi, MDT, CDT
Editor-in-Chief
peter.pizzi@broadcastmed.com