Introduction to Ruddle Blogs

This is Cliff Ruddle from Santa Barbara, California, in my private office.  I’m very excited to be with you today, and first, I’d like to talk a little bit about the evolution of my website.  As far as I know, I have the first endodontic website on the west coast, maybe nationally.  But, the problem with the early websites is there was oftentimes failure to add new, relevant, on time material.  As such, my company, Advanced Endodontics, has decided to make significant contributions towards improving a website so we can deliver relevant, useful and on time material. 

I will add to this content by using both audio and video blogs to deliver information on new techniques, new technologies, continuing education.  I will come to you and explain some of the important international events and what is occurring in those countries.  We’ll talk about the business of endodontics, office design, future directions, and of course, controversy.  Many controversies exist.  Certain clinical controversies are debated but there really is not a forum or venue where the various controversies are identified, logically discussed and clarified.  As such, every week, I will use audio and video blogs to discuss all these various items, including the controversies. 

Today, the controversy that I’d like to lay down as future directions that we’ll talk about on this blog are the irrelevant articles disguised as science.  This is an increasing problem and needs to be brought to everybody’s attention and I’ll be giving concrete examples.  I’d like to talk about the marketing hype and the misinformation because this serves to confuse dentists and it influences a lower quality of endodontic care. 

I will also bring to your attention various remarks that are repeatedly stated, then they’re written and finally they are hoped to be interpreted as the truth.  We’ll discover what these remarks are, who said them and is it true?  Is it supported by history or is it simply their own blog and their own spin?  We’ll talk about product piracy.  We’ll talk about scientific misconduct.  It is occurring increasingly in both the rag magazines, the trade journals if you will, or the peer review journals. 

I’d also like to identify two organizations, namely the ADA and the AAE and their new emerging continuing education policies.  Ultimately the direction of these policies are going to change forever how, when and where you will get your education, and by whom. 

We’ll discuss on future blogs the interrelationships between dentists, organized dentistry and corporations, and how do we get the balance that synergistically moves our profession forward.  I’d like to tell you about the truth behind new product development.  What usually occurs, the journey and how we get from concept and idea to a market version product.

Well, I’d like to also address why I resigned as the Director of Endodontics at the Scottsdale Center for Dentistry.  Many of you are asking me this and so it will just be made public so that you’re totally aware of why I did what I did.

So, these kinds of controversies and much more will be discussed once a week and uploaded from my mouth to your ears.  In the earlier days, as much as just 5 years ago, my website would get somewhere between 50 and 100 hits a day.  Since our phase one of our website remodel, I am very happy to report that we have close to 1500 hits every single day, 24/7 and that’s been going on for six months.  Because of this encouragement with the number of you that are now coming to the website to have fun, to learn, to hang out and get a little bit better, I have decided to put a lot more emphasis on my website regarding interactions with you.