The courses are prerecorded in our clinic and studio and are based on a mixture of lectures, slides, and videos. There are test questions embedded throughout the course, which makes the courses eligible for CE credit. Each user has their own account, and after a course is completed, the CE certificate will show up in their account and be available for download. The user can reference their account any time to see the courses they have completed and review them as needed. There is also a rating system and comment area that allows the dentist to give us feedback on each course. This feedback is evaluated regularly.

AK: The Glidewell Online Study Club has become a weekly habit for hundreds of dentists every Friday. How does it work, and to what do you attribute the success?

NK: The study club is one of my favorite projects. I believe that having live webinars at a standard time each week (Friday mornings at 9 a.m. Pacific) is a huge part of its success. We have created a unique community of dentists who come together for an hour, listen to an amazing, free lecture, and earn continuing education credits. I often get emails or comments on surveys from our members sharing with me that the study club is part of their Friday regimen — like listening to a favorite podcast or radio station. Some even invite friends to listen, and some share that they have coffee or lunch with us every Friday.

The Glidewell on-demand CE courses are a great opportunity for dentists to take continuing education courses any time they want.

The chat function allows interaction among the speakers and attendees. There is also an opportunity to ask the speaker questions through a moderated Q&A session. This is fun to listen to and allows the attendees to get clarification and further information.

Another huge factor for the success of these webinars is the wonderful speakers who are so passionate about dentistry and share their time and experience with us. Our speakers are seasoned clinicians and educators who value leadership and have a teaching mindset. They have been through different challenges in dentistry and have found the solutions that will work for other clinicians. Our speakers genuinely want to educate, simplify procedures, and help other dentists to improve their skills. Our speakers share practical tips and tricks and step-by-step workflows that have proven successful for them. By being relatable to the audience, these speakers can empower the dentists to try new or different ideas in their practice.

AK: Some of the topics seem highly advanced or specialized. Do you feel like the audience enjoys these courses?

NS: There are times when the subjects are more complex. I like to sprinkle these in throughout the year because the audience likes them — but also because the study club is not just about gaining knowledge and earning CE credits. It is about fostering professional growth. My intention is that members feel inspired to take the next step in their professional development. Many of our speakers teach and lecture for our live education events. After a webinar, dentists may find themselves motivated to explore the live courses or symposia offered. They may even decide to commit to a comprehensive training program, such as the Resnik Implant Institute or the AAID MaxiCourse^® that is hosted at the Glidewell Clinical Education Center.

We strive to offer a broad cross-section of topics — the goal is to help light a spark in dentists and encourage them to seek out more continuing education, which increases their passion and their productivity.

The study club is not just about gaining knowledge and earning CE credits. It is about fostering professional growth.

AK: What if a doctor misses one of the live, weekly study clubs they are interested in?

NS: No worries — we record every webinar. After each session, the recordings are edited and uploaded online. The only downside is that, due to AGD guidelines, CE credit is not available for the recorded versions.

AK: How do you determine topics for your online courses and the study club?

NS: I work with many speakers across a wide range of topics. I like to plan the calendar at least six months in advance and mix up the categories to ensure we have a variety of subjects. After each webinar, I collect suggestions for new topics through an online survey and organize them in a file by category. I then reach out to a speaker on a specific topic idea.

Often, in my discussion with the potential speaker, we end up with a different idea within the same category. I want the speakers to present what they are most passionate about since it leads to a wonderful experience for the audience.

The on-demand courses have a similar process. If there is a popular topic or some emerging science that the webinar audience likes, I will contact a clinician with expertise on the topic and invite them to our office to produce an online CE video. We have an excellent video production team at Glidewell — with state-of-the-art studios — so we tend to produce new content quickly.

AK: Do you get feedback? If so, what do you do with it?

NS: Yes, I love and appreciate any feedback from our audience. I read every single comment that comes in from the surveys, and I collaborate with department managers here at Glidewell to see what is new, upcoming and may be of interest to our audience.

AK: Tell me a little about your experience in dental practice and how it influences the CE you choose to provide.

NS: I started in dentistry as a dental assistant for six years. I was guided into dental hygiene by a hygienist friend, and I graduated in 2011. Looking to move into dental education, I joined Glidewell in 2022. I am passionate about dentistry and truly love the field. I still practice clinical hygiene on some Saturdays and volunteer as a board member for my local dental hygiene component. There, we create CE opportunities for hygienists and participate in community events.

I also volunteer for the California Dental Hygiene Association and am on the student relations council. All of this helps me stay informed about current topics in dentistry and network with speakers and industry friends. The perspective I gain from these activities helps me ensure I am meeting Glidewell’s vision for education while also ensuring the topics are relevant and timely for the audience.

AK: What is next for Glidewell’s online CE offerings?

NS: For the online study club, we have some fan-favorite speakers coming back, including Dr. Randy Resnik with a four-part series on occlusion for implant restorations. Drs. Shankar Iyer, Timothy Kosinski, Christopher Resnik and Kevin Suzuki will also all be back with some great presentations on implantology and periodontics.

We also have some wonderful new speakers joining us, including Drs. Rebekah Browder and Jarrett Manning, who will be presenting topics in digital dentistry. They are both graduates of the Guiding Leaders program, which is a professional development program designed to empower women in dentistry.

Finally, we have some fantastic on-demand courses in the works. Dr. Taylor Manalili, director of clinical prosthodontics at Glidewell, will be bringing us a course on the efficiency of guided surgery and a multi-part presentation on the importance of properly planning implant cases. I am also working on courses on advanced anesthesia techniques, digital dentistry and intraoral scanning.

AK: You have a busy year planned! We look forward to all the new and exciting clinical education opportunities you’ll be providing.