Continuing Education by Howard M. Goldstein, DMD, Director of Continuing Education

Spring is here and spring is a time of renewal for all of us. So renew your knowledge of dentistry by checking out these CE offerings, which were released recently on Dentaltown.com:

Mastering Posterior Dentistry
by Dr. John Nosti
 This course is designed to increase proficiency in both partial- and full-coverage indirect restorations. It covers in detail topics related to insurance coverage and changing patient appointments from “just a filling” to indirect restorations. Produce more Monday morning!

Introduction to Dental Implants
by Dr. Charles Schlesinger
This course, Part 1 of a 12-part comprehensive series of courses on implants that will be released on dentaltown.com, details the world of dental implants. Discussion includes the principles of why dentists need to incorporate this treatment into their practices, and the different types of implants and treatment available. 

Guided Surgery, Ridge Splitting and Sinus Lifts for Success in Implant Surgery (Recorded live at the Cad Ray Symposium)
by Dr. Jay Reznick
Dr. Jay Reznick goes into details on how to split the ridge to increase bone for implants, and when and how to use BMP. He also discusses the protocol when a bone graft fails, and provides information and videos about how to perform sinus lifts. Reznick shows how guided surgery makes implant placement more predictable and more efficient, as well as how to use guided implant stents.

Micro-Osteoperforation: Orthodontic Acceleration Becomes Mainstream
by Dr. Bruce McFarlane
The science behind micro-osteoperforation is well-established, and its clinical usefulness has also been well-studied and confirmed. It’s now at the “tipping point” of becoming a mainstream, routine procedure for a variety of orthodontic applications. This course reviews the evolution of the system, the biology behind it, the logistics of its use and its clinical applications.

Next Level Endodontics: Instrumentation, Trends and Transitions
by Dr. Martin Trope and Dr. James G. Hupp
 RaCe NiTi files have unique properties that increase their flexibility, increase resistance to fracture and decrease the “screw-in” effect. There is a large variety of files to support any instrumentation philosophy; this presentation offers two sequences that predictably reach apical sizes appropriate for the Next Level philosophy without excessive taper of the coronal two-thirds of the canal.

Implant Challenges— Creative Solutions
by  Arian Deutsch, CDT
Implant restorative challenges can be difficult for the dental team and the implant patient. This course focuses on some such challenges and some creative solutions that are making what was once impossible a reality. Tools to achieve aesthetic restorative outcomes for challenged implant cases will also be discussed.

Improving Patient Care by Improving Practice Performance
by Lance Jacob with Tim Lott
This course explains why it’s important for dentists to understand how their practice is performing and how that performance affects patient care. Topics covered include production versus collections, and their relation to cash flow; expense classifications and overhead; revenues and overhead; and why it’s important to be able to compare your practice to industry benchmarks.

To Pull or Not to Pull: Apical Surgery Versus Implant Replacement
by Dr. Daniel G. Pompa
With the introduction of new surgical approaches in apical surgery, and a systematic approach to the diagnosis and treatment of compromised teeth, clinicians should be able to more accurately determine the long-term prognosis of a surgical, nonsurgical or replacement treatment option and determine its potential success by taking this course. 

The Standard of Care (What Is It? What Is It Not? Key Information Both Specialists and General Dentists Need to Know)
by John Dovgan
This course will educate you on the definition of the “standard of care” and how to meet it, as well as key legal terms you need to know. Guidelines are given for what is looked for in dental board cases, malpractice cases, and local anesthetic and sedation mistakes that dentists make. Learn which lines should not be crossed and typical treatment notes you should incorporate into practice.

Fundamentals of Fixed Prosthodontics
by Dr. Lane Ochi
A masterpiece! Successfully treating patients with fixed prosthodontics requires a mastery of materials and mechanical concepts, as well as a respect for tooth structure. We need to be aware of the interactions between preparation design, margin configuration, core buildups or posts, and the luting agent. After viewing this course, you’ll be able to identify the causes of failures and prevent them from recurring.

Appropriate Analgesic Prescribing for the General Dentist
by Dr. Mark Donaldson
Wouldn’t it be great to be known as the dentist who offers excellent pain-free, postoperative care without the use of narcotics? Wouldn’t you like to be more confident in evidence-based, guideline-driven prescription writing?  This is the program to help you be just that.

Pediatric Dentistry: Anesthesia, Pulp Therapy and Stainless Steel Crowns
by Dr. Josh Wren
With the Affordable Care Act mandating dental coverage for those 19 and younger, more than 3 million pediatric patients will be added to 150,000 dental practices. Treating children may become a necessity for your dental office. Pulp therapy and stainless steel crowns are procedures often considered complex when performed on pediatric patients; this course will alleviate any fear of the unknown that leads to this misconception. Indirect pulp therapy, pulpotomy and pulpectomy are discussed, with emphasis on diagnosis and technique. Stainless steel crowns are also discussed, with procedural steps explained and shown. The course also discusses Wren’s process for using nitrous oxide, appropriate topical anesthesia and local anesthesia to achieve painless injections.