In this issue:
Education Corner: Empowering Dentists Through Continuing Education
Glidewell continuing education programs are focused on providing dentists with the tools they need to succeed. For dentists planning to add more complex services to their practices — e.g., full-arch implant treatment — in-person courses offer the level of detail needed to gain confidence. By interacting face-to-face with like-minded practitioners and experienced instructors, participants can define actionable pathways in an environment designed to encourage their professional growth.
WHAT TO EXPECT FROM GLIDEWELL COURSES
Glidewell courses cover a wide range of topics in dentistry, encompassing cutting-edge techniques, materials, and technologies. The primary goal is to enhance clinical knowledge, enabling dentists to broaden their practices, attract new patients, and achieve smoother and more predictable outcomes. Each in-person course delves into a specific clinical theme, ranging from esthetic dentistry and sleep dentistry to implant surgery and restoration.
At a Glance:
- In-depth curriculum tailored to specific clinical topics
- Expert presenters with the most up-to-date clinical experience
- Hands-on exercises
- Affordable tuition with exceptional value
COURSE RECAP — FIXED FULL-ARCH IMPLANT SOLUTIONS: FROM SURGERY TO FINAL PROSTHESIS
Just one of many choices, the fixed full-arch course is held several times a year at the Glidewell Clinical Education Centers in Irvine, California, and Louisville, Kentucky. For clinicians interested in mastering the latest guided surgery and immediate provisionalization techniques, this course offers a dynamic two-day curriculum.
The course provides 13 CEUs over two days. On the first day, participants delve into surgical planning and stackable surgical guides. They also enjoy an informative tour of Glidewell’s campus, gaining insights into the latest innovations and getting a behind-the-scenes look at contemporary lab operations. The second day of the live course focuses on restorative options and includes hands-on exercises with implant verification jigs, digital impressions, and PMMA immediate provisionals.
Full-Arch Course Objectives
- Apply a “top-down” approach to treatment, including patient evaluation, treatment planning and restorative material selection
- Learn a multidisciplinary approach to surgical planning and execution
- Execute digital treatment planning for full-arch restorations with the restorative outcome in mind
- Review surgical guide options, including bone-borne, tissue-borne and stackable approaches to guides
- Understand when and how to immediate load
- Select appropriate restorative protocols for various fixed material options
- Describe recommended occlusal schemes
- Discuss surgical and restorative complications
- Summarize use and clinical benefits of “test driving” with provisionals
“The course was excellent and well-put-together. I highly recommend it to all clinicians placing and restoring implants.”
– Kavitha Narla, DMD, FAGD, FICOI, Private Practice; Somerville, NJ
SPOTLIGHTING A NEW CHAPTER IN IMPLANT EDUCATION
The Glidewell Clinical Education Center in Irvine was the site of California’s only American Academy of Implant Dentistry (AAID) MaxiCourse®. Recognized internationally as one of the oldest and most trusted implant continuums, the MaxiCourse spans nine modules covering examination, diagnosis, treatment planning, placement, and more. Dentists who completed the program earned 300 CEUs and received mentorship on adding implant placement as a service in their practices.
Bringing the MaxiCourse to Southern California was a meaningful feat for program directors Drs. Shankar Iyer and Ali Mostafavi, as well as the Glidewell education team, as they supported motivated practitioners and worked with the most accomplished implantologists in dentistry today. Of course, this was just the beginning. The 2023–2024 class of Newport MaxiCourse graduates will be the first of many more to come.
CONCLUSION
Learning new skills is imperative to keep up in the ever-changing field of dentistry, and Glidewell offers the support dentists need to take the next leap. “We put a lot of time and effort into creating the best learning environment possible,” said Megan Gutierrez, senior manager of clinical education at Glidewell. “Glidewell is unique because we don’t want to be just a lab. We want to be a trusted resource and a place clinicians really enjoy visiting. That’s why we provide high-quality meals and often include a hotel stay with tuition. We want attendees to experience concierge-level service. The connections we make with dental professionals during their time at the Clinical Education Center are lasting.”
