Guiding Leaders, a yearlong leadership development program for women in dentistry, has kicked off with monthly courses that provide elite training from professionals in a wide variety of disciplines. During a two-day workshop conducted at the Glidewell International Technology Center in Irvine, California, participants were instructed by award-winning TV and film director Deborah Shames, who is cofounder of Eloqui, a corporate communications company. In her program, “Communication Immersion,” Shames provided the clinicians with new skills to find their authentic voice. The interactive course was designed to equip the dentists to be confident communicators whether they’re presenting treatment options within their dental practices or speaking as thought leaders on a global stage. There are 14 dentists participating in Guiding Leaders’ premiere year, which covers a broad range of professional development topics both in a classroom setting and online. Each course is designed to empower the women to become influential voices in dentistry.

Dr. Jack Hahn, a pioneer in the field of implant dentistry, visited Louisville, Kentucky, where he lectured at the Glidewell International Technology Center. Dr. Hahn, who has been in dentistry for nearly 50 years, educated the dental professionals on a safe, simple and predictable method for placing “emergency” implants immediately following an extraction. In his presentation, Dr. Hahn explored bone grafting, atraumatic extraction techniques and immediate provisional restoration options. The course combined a lecture along with a hands-on segment that allowed attendees to work with a model and place implants using the Hahn™ Tapered Implant System (Glidewell Direct; Irvine, Calif.).

Leading implantologist Dr. Paresh Patel instructed an American Academy of Implant Dentistry (AAID) MaxiCourse^® at Rutgers University in New Jersey. Dr. Patel taught a one-day course on “Dental Photography for Implant Marketing and Credentialing.” In his presentation, Dr. Patel showed students and fellow dentists how to take intraoral, portrait and marketing photos for their practices and websites.

Clinicians from across the country learned from today’s foremost dental educators at a CDEWorld event conducted in Michigan. The one-day program is part of an ongoing lineup of live continuing education events called “Updates in Clinical Dentistry Speaker Series 2019.” Author, lecturer and clinical consultant Dr. Paresh Patel taught a course during the sold-out program entitled “CAD/CAM Dentistry Demystified,” which showed dentists simple, accessible ways to incorporate in-office milling into their dental practices. In his presentation, Dr. Patel covered a range of topics, including how to digitally design a functional and esthetic restoration, how to make material choices based on indications and how to produce quality restorations in a single visit.

Boy Scouts of America from Southern California spent time touring the Glidewell Dental headquarters and facilities in Newport Beach, California. Joined by their Assistant Scout Master Dr. Arthur Shaw, a practicing dentist, the troops attended a lecture at the Glidewell International Technology Center, participated in workshops and watched how dental restorations are manufactured in the laboratory. The Boy Scouts took part in the educational tour and lecture in order to fulfill the requirements needed to earn their dentistry merit badge. The merit badge program allows Scouts to learn about various areas such as engineering, medicine and digital technology to determine whether or not they would like to pursue those subjects as a career.

Members of the American Academy of Clear Aligners (AACA) attended a continuing education course conducted at the Glidewell International Technology Center in Irvine, California, to learn techniques that will enhance their experience creating single-appointment restorations with the glidewell.io™ In-Office Solution. Taught by Dr. Justin Chi, director of clinical technologies at Glidewell Dental, the course covered preparation guidelines for delivering crowns milled in-office, scanning techniques that ensure comprehensive imaging with the iTero Element^® Scanner, and methods for finishing various dental materials. After the in-depth course, the attendees toured Glidewell Laboratories to observe firsthand the restoration design and fabrication processes and techniques used at the industry-leading lab.