Real World Dentistry From The Real World Leaders

The enthusiastic and growing team has plenty to smile about: The National Dental Network, (NDN), a fast rising education and training company, was recently named “The new CE source for dentistry". A growing pool of opinion leaders including Dr. Howard Farran says, "NDN’s programming rocks!"

NDN’s mission: To bring training from the world leaders in dentistry directly to doctors in the most convenient and timely means possible. Also, NDN is striving to reduce the cost associated with quality dental training.

While the agenda is bold, so is the individual behind it. William Mays, the company’s CEO, is an extremely well-respected and recognized pioneer in the field of distance training and education. He is the former National Sales Manager for Westcott Communications, one of the first publicly traded, distance-learning companies. Under Mays’ sales leadership, training and educational services grew to over $100M. The company boasted eight million subscribers representing almost 60,000 hospitals, healthcare associations, and corporate entities before being sold to Primedia.

NDN represents an extraordinary opportunity for any dentist, anywhere, to have access to the teachings of leading industry experts and clinicians.

During his tenure at Westcott, Mays saw a unique and exciting opportunity to bring distance learning to dentistry, an industry known for its fragmentation.

That vision has paid off. Today, NDN represents an extraordinary opportunity for any dentist, anywhere, to have access to the teachings of leading industry experts and clinicians, via DVD, VHS or the Internet. Founded in 1995, the company offers a timely, exciting and cost-effective way to receive information about new clinical and management techniques, products, and materials.

The traditional methods of training and education (attending seminars and going to tradeshows) are still relevant today, but typically are the least efficient and most expensive methods of continuing education. NDN’s on-demand training brings the curriculum right into the dental practice, effectively eliminating productivity losses and expenses typically incurred from seminar and tradeshow travel.

“All dentists are dealing with issues of time famine," explains Mays. “And that situation has only been exacerbated post 9/11." Indeed, the increase in travel time and effort is just one more reason why training and certification available through NDN is growing in popularity. “We’re bringing real-world dentistry from the world leaders to doctors–in the comfort of their home or office" explains Kelly Peoples, one of NDN’s member representatives.

“I believe our success has principally been our ability to be a magnet for great people, great talent that really wants to help enhance dental education," says Mays.

That great pool of talent is evident in EXCELLENCE IN COSMETIC DENTISTRY 2 (EICD 2), the company’s newest, live-patient DVD series which features Drs. Jackson, Kois, Buchanan, Hornbrook, Sheets, and Misch among others. The 12-part, multi-disciplinary series provides doctors with content mastery, skill augmentation, and instructional modeling in the ever-critical area of aesthetics.

Subscribers to this cutting-edge series receive one DVD program and lesson guide each month worth a total of 36 continuing education credits. Those who subscribe have the option of completing their CE test on line for instant scoring and approval, or they can fax their completed test to NDN. Subscription holders also receive unlimited access to each presenter’s comprehensive bank of ‘before and after’ digital photographs–a very popular feature visited by over 15,000 dentists monthly.

Additionally, each of the series’ 12 clinical shows is shot by NDN’s award-winning film crew either on-location or at their 200,000 square foot affiliate production facility.

Every lesson is tailored to ensure subscribers learn the:

• End goal of each treatment plan
• Sequential steps each clinician took to get there
• Key challenges that arose during treatment (and how they dealt with them)
• Instruments and materials used

Producers for the series utilize multiple, state-of-the-art cameras (including an intra-oral camera) for each lesson.

The resulting meticulous images are surprisingly close to first-hand perspectives. “This is as close as it gets to over-the-shoulder dentistry," says subscriber Dr. Bruce Baird.

In fact, the superior production quality actually enhances the learning experience and can improve retention.

“It’s the most professionally created series I've EVER seen," adds Dental Town opinion leader Dr. Michael Esposito.

As mentioned earlier, a venerable collection of top clinicians is featured in EICD 2. Each new installment provides input from the clinical pioneers that have shaped aesthetic dentistry in the last five years including:

• Dr. Ron Jackson
• Dr. Michael Miyasaki
• Dr. Steven Buchanan
• Dr. John Kois
• Dr. Carl Misch
• Dr. Cherilyn Sheets
• Dr. David Hornbrook
• Dr. Cliff Alexander
• Dr. Michael Koczarski

Many of these clinicians have differing styles and views and typically wouldn’t share the same platform. However, they all agree with Mays that NDN’s “neutral platform" is essential to providing a well-rounded education.

Says Mays, “We’re happy to provide a vehicle for the top clinicians and educators to showcase their areas of expertise, experience and even a bit of their personality. Any one of them is not going to be as powerful as all of them featured together," he adds.

NDN’s ready access to clinical training and education is markedly different from that of a classic clinical institute. However, Mays is quick to point out the ‘training-from-a-distance’ doesn’t replace, but is the perfect complement to, ‘hands-on training’.

A recent subscriber survey underscores his point: “Fifty-two percent of our subscribers attend a clinical training institute within 12 months of starting their subscription," shares K. Peoples.

Subscribers to the EICD 2 series are among the most progressive of all dentists in terms of clinical education and training. “They tend to be early adopters of new clinical materials and techniques and have an enormous appetite for quality continuing education," explains K. Peoples.

It is these progressive clinicians that help shape new products for NDN. Each month, the company polls its growing database of members to determine which products and services would best meet their direct needs. This cross-section of professionals provides the vital feedback that allows Mays and staff to create timely and pertinent curricula.

The National Dental Network is clearly making its mark on dentistry. “It’s a first-rate, first-class company," shares Dr. Michael Koczarski.