Annual Session Courses

Kristin Armstrong - Transformational. Kristin's words leave a powerful impact that equates to meaningful changes in people's lives.

Kristin will share stories from her four Olympic journeys - the highlights and the tragedies - on her way to total domination of the women’s cycling time trial over almost two decades. Listeners will feel the triumphs and the turmoil's and leave not simply feeling inspired by Kristin’s experiences, but equipped with foresight and a roadmap to high achievement in every aspect of their own lives. 

Kristin Armstrong is the most decorated U.S. women's cyclist of all time and the best time-trialist in sports history. She is a three-time Olympic Gold Medalist, two-time World Champion and has won six U.S. National Championships.

Kristin is the only female U.S. athlete to win the same event (time trial) in three consecutive Olympic Summer Games, taking home the gold medal in Beijing (2008), London (2012) and Rio (2016). Additionally, Kristin became the oldest female cyclist in history to win an Olympic medal when she won gold in Rio, one day before her 43rd birthday.  

Kristin graduated from the University of Idaho with a B.S. in Exercise Physiology. She owns and runs “Pivot by KA,” a chain of health clubs in Idaho.

Dr. Chris Jones

A prevalent challenge in dentistry has always been getting your patients invested in their dental treatment and accepting the plan you presented. This is not a complex treatment problem; it plagues the simplest of treatment plans. Recent analytics suggest that the average acceptance in the modern dental practice is around 35%, this leaves plenty of room for improvement. With any investment, patients have a lot to consider when presented with a treatment plan. Creating a rapport with your patient, building value with what you provide, taking the time to deliver a treatment plan, and fully understanding their needs can go a long way in positively influencing your case acceptance. This lecture is designed to help you collect the necessary information to adequately diagnose, treatment plan, and then present treatment options to your patients in a systematic manner that will improve your case acceptance. We will also spend time going through several cases from start to finish and review different patient communication techniques and treatment options that were utilized. 

Objectives

• Consider what makes you and your practice successful; how are you different from your peers.

• Improve treatment planning skills through proper data collection, which in turn builds value for your patients.

• Leverage digital technology for greater efficiencies. 

• Discuss differing ways to provide your patient with the information they need to make an investment in their oral health.

• Strengthen communication among your patients and office staff.

• Increase the quality and quantity of implant cases.

Kriston Reisnour, RDH, BSDH, CCSH, CH-OSE, CSOM, HAIOMT, FAAOSH

Medical and dental integration is inevitable!  The evolution of healthcare systems, the latest science, and research is driving the two modalities to unite, address, treat, and prevent chronic disease. Addressing all the “Root Causes” of disease, inclusive of the oral cavity, is vital in the attempts to eliminate the underlying chronic inflammation which is the initiator of almost all disease. There are numerous studies indicating the direct connection between oral and overall systemic health.  In fact, periodontal disease is considered a medical condition of the mouth and has been known to impact 57 other whole-body diseases. The diseases of the oral cavity are complex, biofilm induced, host modulated, and affected by many factors inclusive of genetics, nutrition, and the environment. This course will help participants access and identify comorbidities associated with oral health, implement lifesaving screenings, and provide a step-by-step collaborative approach to optimal patient care. Oral and medical healthcare providers must collaborate to adequately extinguish the “fire within” The presentation content will help you identify triggers, provide solutions and prepare you for the changes that are to come.    

The battle against inflammation, associated oral systemic health conditions and how to incorporate optimal care into your dental hygiene department.

Objectives:

• Provide an elemental understanding of inflammation and how the inflammatory process causes disease and destruction. Why the “fire” (inflammation) gets out of control.

• Describe the role oral bacteria play in the systemic inflammatory cascade and disease progression. 

• Learn to identify “smoke signals” within the medical history and understand the relationship between common health conditions and the systemic inflammation which leads to disease progression. “Healthy tissue doesn’t bleed!”

• Enhance the clinician's ability to critically analyze a patient’s health condition and determine optimal treatment plans.

• Case presentation and final discussion

Cynthia Stamation                            

This interactive workshop empowers dental professionals to transform their leadership through an abundance mindset. Participants will explore how their relationship with money impacts decision-making, patient care, team dynamics, and practice success.

Through engaging exercises and dynamic discussions, attendees will uncover limiting beliefs, embrace affluence, and shift from a scarcity mindset.  This session fosters greater clarity, confidence, and fulfillment, to create an abundant culture within their practice and life.

By reshaping financial beliefs, participants will unlock new potential for growth, inspired leadership, and professional success.

Objectives

• Identify and overcome scarcity mindsets and limiting beliefs to cultivate an affluent mindset.

• Explore how your relationship with money impacts leadership, patient care, and team dynamics.

• Discover tools to create a culture of abundance, collaboration, and growth in your practice.

• Learn actionable steps to align with authentic leadership, inspire trust, and elevate practice outcomes.

• Understand how a "low deserve level" and "money avoidance" can reduce confidence, limit growth, and undervalue contributions.

Dr. Kent Howell

Steven J. Sadowsky, DDS, FACP

A survey of dental practitioners revealed that the number one concern in implant dentistry is appropriate treatment planning.  Outcome measurements have changed from implant survival to patient satisfaction and therefore have placed a premium on evidence-based differential treatment planning. A growing body of longitudinal studies has illuminated the comparative prognoses of various implant restorative options for our patients, given systemic, local, and patient-related factors. With these options, the dental practitioner faces many questions.  Should we restore an edentulous space with an implant or a conventional fixed partial prosthesis. What level of maintenance and additional costs can we expect from fixed implant prostheses?  When three teeth are missing, should we place one implant per tooth, or could we place two implants to support a fixed partial prosthesis or even a cantilever prosthesis? Are short implants a viable option, even when the crown to implant ratio is 2 to 1?  Should adjacent implants be splinted to preserve marginal bone? Can tilted implants be used to circumvent sinus augmentation? When considering salvaging periodontally compromised teeth in compliant patients, is it best to extract and place implants or maintain the teeth? What is the status of peri-implantitis? This presentation will help guide practitioners in answering these questions for the treatment of the partially edentulous patient.

Learning Objectives

• To become familiar with systemic, local and patient-related factors that may dictate implant or conventional restorative treatment

• To understand evidence-based criteria for differential treatment planning implant restorations for partially edentulous patients

• To learn predictable clinical protocols for implant restorative treatment

Linda Kane,  Founder of Zeroed-In Dental Solutions| Amazon Best-Selling Author| Podcast Host

Mastering dental billing and insurance is essential for maximizing revenue and avoiding costly mistakes that can impact a practice’s bottom line. This course is designed to help dentists, office managers, and treatment coordinators navigate the complexities of dental insurance with confidence.

From identifying the top billing and coding mistakes to mastering insurance verification, handling denials, and ensuring compliance, this session provides real-world strategies to streamline your billing process, reduce errors, and improve cash flow. Attendees will also engage in hands-on exercises, reviewing real Explanations of Benefits (EOBs) and chart notes to strengthen their practical knowledge.

By the end of this course, participants will walk away with the tools, insights, and confidence to optimize their billing process, protect their practice from audits, and increase revenue without unnecessary write-offs.

Course Objectives

By the end of this session, attendees will be able to:

Identify and correct the top five billing and coding mistakes that lead to lost revenue.
Understand common reasons for insurance denials and apply a step-by-step approach to successfully appeal claims.
Implement an efficient insurance verification process to prevent claim rejections before they happen.
Navigate key compliance and legal considerations to avoid audits and penalties.
Analyze real EOBs and chart notes to improve documentation and ensure accurate reimbursements.
Utilize best practices for proper coding, documentation, and collections to enhance the financial health of their practice.

Josh Pass, Owner of Geekpoint

Course Outline & Objectives coming soon

Dr. Caroline Zeller

Not all wisdom teeth need to be removed. For those that do, how can we evaluate when removal will be challenging or when it is associated with a high risk of complication? How do we determine if a patient’s symptoms are associated with their wisdom teeth or other possible pathologies? This course will empower you to understand how to best manage your patient’s wisdom teeth in a way that focuses on true pathology, reduces overall risk, and removes the mystery of impacted wisdom teeth.

Course objectives:

• Identify pathologies that indicate wisdom tooth removal

• Demonstrate risk assessment for nerve damage of mandibular wisdom teeth

• Describe indicators of difficult wisdom teeth extraction

• Consider use of coronectomy procedure or leaving roots when indicated

• Recognize signs and management of dry socket

• Contrast pathologic wisdom teeth with TMD

• Determine when patients might be good candidates for tooth auto transplantation

Dr. Kyle Stanley

A proven step-by-step training for dental professionals to master their mental resilience and workplace leadership to create sustainable success in their careers and lives.

In this course you'll discover:

• The #1 skill that all of the most successful dentists master that the average ones don't...and how you can implement this fast

• The 3 biggest mistakes that almost all dentists make in their patient management that cause 90% of the stress (and how to avoid making this mistake)

• How to use the Dental Trigger Map to identify where your most significant challenges are coming from and simple ways to overcome these issues

• The simple research-backed stress management technique that can reduce your stress by 72% - even if you only have 3 minutes available a day

• You'll leave this course feeling clear, confident, and ready to create a highly sustainable and enjoyable dental career

Dr. Kyle Stanley

As AI brings its paradigm-shifting force to bear in dental care, however, few dentists have been given an honest accounting of how AI will actually impact their work––and fewer still have any first-hand experience with AI in their practices. This course aims to dispel the myths and mystery around AI’s current utility to dental offices with a boots-on-the-ground look at AI’s real-world impact on the clinical and business operations of practices currently employing the technology.

 Learning objectives:

·      Understand the fundamental strengths and weaknesses of AI systems

·      Discover what kinds of AI tools are currently available

·      Level-set on the nature and scope of impact that these tools have on clinical care and practice management

·      Understand and learn to avoid certain risks associated with AI tools

·      Learn best practices for leveraging AI tools day-to-day to maximize patient health and practice revenue

Dr. Carl Drago

Dentistry has evolved over the past several decades. Some members in the audience remember making compound (modeling plastic) denture impressions; now those same members may do intra-oral scanning, digitization/virtual restoration design, milling/printing dental restorations, and full arch prostheses without impressions of any kind. The author’s dental journey started in 1976; this discussion will include examples of thought-provoking treatments looking backward and forward. 

Learning Objectives

Attendees should be able to:

• appreciate fundamental prosthodontic principles associated with simple and complex clinical treatments
• appreciate design and fabrication-associated prosthetic complications identified over the past 40+ years
• use the above principles to adapt new technologies for fabrication of state of the art interim and definitive full arch prostheses efficiently and predictably
• look forward to exciting new changes coming to prosthodontics

Dr. Erinne Kennedy

• Define roles of dentists and state dental directors in antibiotic stewardship.
•  Describe evidence-based guidelines for antibiotic use in dentistry.
•  Understand the mindset shift and influence clinical guidelines have on clinical practice.
•  Critically evaluate and apply the guideline to treat tooth pain and swelling in adults who are not immunocompromised.
•  Identify and utilize resources that can be used chairside to make clinical decisions for antibiotic stewardship.
• Develop strategies to implement practices chairside.
• Examine policy recommendations for antibiotic stewardship nationally.

Machell Hoover, RDH, FAAOSH, CHC

The landscape of healthcare is changing, and dental professionals are at a pivotal moment where they can move beyond disease detection to embrace a transformative health paradigm. With six in ten American adults facing at least one chronic condition, dentistry must take on a proactive leadership role in patient health. This two-part course encourages dental professionals to adopt an evidence-based approach that drives meaningful change in clinical practice and patient outcomes.

The inflammatory consequences of oral diseases significantly affect overall health. By addressing oral health proactively, dental practitioners can reduce localized inflammation and broader systemic health risks. Rooted in P4 Medicine—predictive, preventive, personalized, and participatory—this course empowers dental teams to shift from reactive treatment to a proactive, risk-based care model emphasizing long-term wellness.

Part One introduces the P4 risk factor approach, highlighting the importance of early screening and comprehensive health histories to identify risks of periodontal disease, dental caries, and sleep-disordered breathing. This proactive strategy fosters patient trust and positions the dental team as a crucial part of holistic health management.

Part Two focuses on integrating innovative technologies and lifestyle modifications. Participants will explore salivary diagnostics, AI-driven assessments, and holistic interventions related to nutrition, sleep hygiene, and stress management to create personalized care plans that promote long-term health.

Successful implementation requires a collaborative team effort. Research shows that teamwork is essential for patient success and professional satisfaction. When dental teams unite with coordinated care protocols, patients enjoy better experiences, while practices see improved satisfaction and profitability.

This course offers a chance to reshape dentistry, placing the dental team at the forefront of healthcare transformation. Join us in revolutionizing healthcare delivery and redefining dentistry's role in promoting holistic health.

Course Objectives:

Upon completion of this course, participants will possess a foundational understanding of how to:

• Apply Proactive Risk Factor Approach: Implement screening methods for periodontal disease, dental caries, and sleep-related issues to bolster patient trust and ensure long-term accountability for health outcomes.
• Utilize Diagnostic Tools: Employ advanced technologies such as salivary diagnostics, laser applications, and artificial intelligence for early detection and the personalization of care strategies.
• Customize Homecare Protocols: Develop tailored recommendations addressing oral hygiene, nutritional practices, sleep quality, and stress management conducive to improving patient health.
• Foster Team Collaboration: Align the dental team around shared objectives and coordinated clinical practices to enhance care delivery. 
• Enhance Patient Engagement: Cultivate trust and encourage compliance through personalized, informative communication strategies.
• Drive Practice Growth: Identify pathways through which proactive care methodologies contribute to improved patient outcomes, heightened retention rates, and overall practice enhancement.

Linda Kane,  Founder of Zeroed-In Dental Solutions| Amazon Best-Selling Author| Podcast Host

Mastering dental billing and insurance is essential for maximizing revenue and avoiding costly mistakes that can impact a practice’s bottom line. This course is designed to help dentists, office managers, and treatment coordinators navigate the complexities of dental insurance with confidence.

From identifying the top billing and coding mistakes to mastering insurance verification, handling denials, and ensuring compliance, this session provides real-world strategies to streamline your billing process, reduce errors, and improve cash flow. Attendees will also engage in hands-on exercises, reviewing real Explanations of Benefits (EOBs) and chart notes to strengthen their practical knowledge.

By the end of this course, participants will walk away with the tools, insights, and confidence to optimize their billing process, protect their practice from audits, and increase revenue without unnecessary write-offs.

Course Objectives

By the end of this session, attendees will be able to:

Identify and correct the top five billing and coding mistakes that lead to lost revenue.
Understand common reasons for insurance denials and apply a step-by-step approach to successfully appeal claims.
Implement an efficient insurance verification process to prevent claim rejections before they happen.
Navigate key compliance and legal considerations to avoid audits and penalties.
Analyze real EOBs and chart notes to improve documentation and ensure accurate reimbursements.
Utilize best practices for proper coding, documentation, and collections to enhance the financial health of their practice.

Dr. Robert Faulkner

Course Outline & Objectives coming soon

Dr. Cole Anderson

Course Outline & Objectives coming soon

Dr. Daniel C. Freeman & John Versnel, Esq.

This course focuses on essential risk management strategies, empowering dentists with the skills and resources to address key factors that optimize patient outcomes and mitigate potential liabilities. Through evaluation of actual TDIC cases, Shaping a Safe Future: Optimizing Care with Patient Education and Team Training explores the importance of establishing protocols to enhance patient safety. It also provides best practices for obtaining current health histories, insights on essential staff roles and training, and steps for responding to office emergencies. 

Objectives:

• Understand the significance of establishing and adhering to protocols and the importance of staff training in medical emergencies
• Recognize your role in providing patient education to achieve optimal levels of care and patient compliance
• Incorporate controls and procedures to reduce the potential for errors in documentation and increase patient safety