I hate to start off the new year with a face full of attitude, but if there is another dental magazine out there as interesting as Chairside^®, I’d like to see it. Other magazines have good articles here and there, but I strive to make every article one that you will at least want to read the callouts and thus get sucked into the article.

Dr. Paul Homoly surprised me yet again in this month’s interview, as we discussed the culture of dentistry and the blind pursuit of quality dentistry. As always, Paul looks at things from a contrarian point of view, and I know you will find this interesting. Paul generates more email than any other contributor, and it is all positive.

I stumbled upon a book on eBay about Painless Parker, and I bought it after I went to the Wikipedia page about him and became fascinated. I loved the book and wrote a review about it in this issue. Love him or hate him, you would be hard-pressed to find a more interesting or controversial dentist.

The “Perception Is the Only Reality” article may open a few eyes as well. I invite you to vote for your favorite crown and try to guess which ones are which before you look at all the prices. (Glidewell was not involved in this study, so there is no hidden agenda.)

Dr. Neiburger has written a fascinating article on the evolution of tooth wear and how teeth have changed over the years. Is the way we prepare food today preventing the natural, healthy wearing of our teeth?

Dr. Bob Lowe rounds out this issue with another excellent clinical article on how he uses lasers to deal with gingival issues. The more cosmetic dentistry you do, the more you realize the major role the gingival plays, and how unpredictable it can be.

I also include a case study with one of my favorite materials: IPS e.max^® CAD LT, used with no-prep veneers. Try IPS e.max on a patient, and see if you like this cementable all-ceramic restoration as much as I do.