DNTL-DENT0205 - Dentistry - ACDE Webinars 2026

 Becoming a Strong Team with Gen Zs in the Dental Practice

This course provides an overview of the historical evolution of dental ceramics and how advances in composition, processing, and CAD/CAM technology have enhanced their reliability and expanded their clinical use. Participants will learn the key properties that differentiate major ceramic categories—such as feldspathic, leucite-reinforced, lithium-based glass ceramics, and high-strength polycrystalline materials like zirconia—and how these characteristics guide clinical decisions involving case selection, preparation design, bonding protocols, and cementation.

• Describe how social and digital influences shape the behavior and performance of Gen Z team members in a clinical setting.
  • Provider outcome: Increased awareness of generational differences affecting workplace performance.
  • Patient outcome: Improved team coordination supporting more efficient and consistent patient care.
• Recognize behavioral and cognitive trends influencing engagement and performance in clinical and team settings.
  • Provider outcome: Enhanced ability to anticipate and manage workflow challenges.
  • Patient outcome: Reduced disruptions in care and improved patient experience.
• Identify evidence-based strategies that cultivate confidence, autonomy, and emotional resilience.
  • Provider outcome: Stronger team performance and reduced reliance on supervision.
  • Patient outcome: More efficient care delivery and improved continuity of care.
• Discuss mentorship and teaching models that enhance professionalism and competence in both academic and private practice settings.
  • Provider outcome: Improved leadership and staff development skills.
  • Patient outcome: Higher quality, more consistent patient care supported by a well-trained team. .

The Role of Fiberglass Posts: Concepts and Clinical Application

This course aims to present the characteristics and benefits of fiberglass posts and their practical application in clinical dentistry. It will cover their function, indications, types, treatment planning, selection criteria, clinical strategies for use, and adhesive cementation.

• Identify the key characteristics and clinical advantages of fiberglass posts.
• Describe the different types of posts and their appropriate indications in restorative dentistry.
• Apply evidence-based criteria for selecting the most suitable post system for each clinical scenario.
• Develop effective clinical strategies for the placement and use of fiberglass posts.
• Understand the principles and techniques involved in the adhesive cementation of fiberglass posts

Updates on periodontal infections and rheumatoid arthritis link

The course focuses on the role of chronic oral/periodontal infections on chronic systemic diseases, with focus on rheumatoid arthritis (RA), and the role of the oral health care team in patients’ education and interdisciplinary management of these patients, including review of recent findings on the association of chronic oral infections and auto-immune arthritis from animal and human studies, the impact of oral microbiota and oral/periodontal chronic infections as risk factors that can aggravate or trigger autoimmune arthritis, the impact of periodontal treatment on RA disease activity, and recommendations for the collaborative management of the patient with oral/systemic chronic diseases by a health care team that includes dentists, dental hygienists, and physicians.

• Understand the association between periodontal and autoimmune diseases
• Understand the role of oral microbiota as one of the possible triggers in the pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis
• Educate their dental patients about the link between oral infections and autoimmune arthritis
• Understand the importance of interprofessional management of patients with oral/periodontal infections and autoimmune arthritis

What’s Going on in your Neighborhood Community Health Center?

Community Health Centers are often overlooked but have a variety of valuable resources for patients. This course will provide details on how community health centers help people with day-to-day needs and struggles. Dental providers will find that they can open access to care for their patients who have chronic conditions but lack funds or insurance for medical care, mental health needs or tax preparation. Community Health Centers are becoming more mainstream, but many providers are unaware of the different services housed under one roof or how interprofessional collaboration contributes to person-centered, holistic care. This course will provide information for the healthcare team to help their patients that may be struggling with unmet needs.

• Apply and interpret assessments to address patient concerns that are not dental related but affect their daily living
• Explain how interprofessional collaboration occurs within a community health center
• Develop a list of resources to deliver patient-centered care

Endodontics - The Art of Maintaining Natural Teeth

This lecture explores the central philosophy of contemporary endodontics: preserving the natural dentition whenever possible. Through an evidence-based clinical approach, participants will learn how modern endodontic techniques and treatment concepts empower clinicians to successfully manage complex clinical situations and maintain the health, function, and esthetics of natural teeth. The presentation will address sound decision-making principles and practical, clinically applicable strategies for a variety of challenging endodontic scenarios, including anatomical complexities, endodontic-periodontal lesions, and both surgical and non-surgical approaches to resolving iatrogenic complications or persistent endodontic infections. Attendees will gain valuable insights into predictable, biologically driven protocols that improve outcomes even in demanding cases, reinforcing the understanding that endodontics is both a science and an art dedicated to keeping natural teeth.

• ‎Understand the principles and decision-making frameworks that guide the preservation of natural teeth through contemporary, evidence-based endodontic care.
• ‎Learn practical and clinically applicable strategies for managing complex endodontic scenarios—including anatomical challenges, endodontic-periodontal lesions, and iatrogenic complications—using both surgical and non-surgical approaches.
• Recognize predictable, biologically driven treatment protocols that enhance outcomes in demanding cases, reinforcing endodontics as both a scientific and artistic discipline focused on maintaining natural dentition.

Designing Smiles in the Modern Age

This lecture provides a practical, easy-to-follow overview of how modern dental restorations can be created using a combination of digital design, 3D printing, and molding techniques. Participants will be guided through the full workflow, from choosing appropriate cases and capturing accurate scans, to designing restorations digitally, fabricating guides with 3D printing, and completing restorations using injection molding. Real clinical cases will be used throughout to illustrate each step, helping attendees connect the process to everyday practice and patient care.

• ‎Understand how to select appropriate cases and gather accurate digital records for a predictable workflow.
• Describe the step-by-step process of designing and fabricating restoration guides using digital tools and 3D printing.
• Recognize how injection molding integrates with digital workflows to produce efficient, high-quality clinical outcomes.

Seeing Beyond the Obvious: Improving Oral Cancer Detection in Practice

Oral cancer remains a significant public health concern, with early detection playing a critical role in improving patient outcomes. This course will provide a practical, clinically focused approach to oral cancer screening, emphasizing techniques that can be readily integrated into everyday dental practice. Participants will review risk assessment, head and neck examination, and intraoral evaluation, with a focus on recognizing subtle and early signs of disease. Through case-based discussion and clinical insights, this course aims to enhance diagnostic confidence and support timely identification and referral of suspicious lesions.

• ‎Perform a systematic extraoral and intraoral examination for oral cancer screening
• Identify common risk factors associated with oral cancer and incorporate risk assessment into routine patient care
• Recognize early and suspicious clinical presentations of oral potentially malignant disorders and oral cancer
• Determine appropriate documentation, follow-up, and referral for patients with abnormal findings

An Evidence-Based Update on Antibiotic Use in Dentistry: The When, Where, and How?

Antibiotic use is an important part of modern dental practice, and it is imperative to ensure the optimal and justifiable use of antibiotics to achieve therapeutic goals while minimizing adverse effects and the risk of antibiotic resistance. This comprehensive continuing education lecture is designed to equip dental professionals with the knowledge and skills to make informed decisions about antibiotic use in various clinical scenarios. Delivered by two periodontists who are also clinician-scientists, this lecture bridges the gap between evidence-based research and clinical practice. With their expertise in both advanced clinical care and academic research, the presenters will provide an in-depth exploration of when, who, and how to prescribe antibiotics effectively in dental practice.

• Identify Indications for Antibiotic Use: Recognize clinical scenarios where antibiotics are necessary in dentistry, including periodontal procedures, extractions, dental implant placement, and the management of infections.
• Understand Antibiotic Mechanisms and Resistance: Explain the principles of antibiotic action, the risks associated with overuse, and strategies to mitigate antibiotic resistance in dental practice.
• Tailor Antibiotic Prescriptions to Individual Patients: Evaluate patient-specific factors such as medical history, systemic conditions, and allergy profiles to optimize antibiotic therapy for safe and effective outcomes.
• Select Appropriate Antibiotic Regimens: Choose the correct type, dosage, and duration of antibiotic therapy for specific dental procedures and infections based on current evidence-based guidelines.
• Incorporate Antibiotic Stewardship into Practice: Develop strategies to minimize unnecessary antibiotic use while ensuring effective management of dental and periodontal infections.
• Enhance Collaboration Across Dental Teams: Foster communication and collaboration with hygienists, specialists, and medical professionals to ensure comprehensive and coordinated patient care.

These objectives are designed to provide participants with a clear framework for effectively integrating responsible antibiotic prescribing into their clinical practice.

This course is an evidence-based lecture designed for dental professionals seeking to incorporate modern, patient-centered approaches to pediatric caries management. This course will review emerging trends in minimally invasive dentistry and their role in shifting the focus from traditional surgical intervention toward prevention, remineralization, and preservation of tooth structure. Participants will explore current evidence and clinical protocols for fluoride therapies, silver diamine fluoride (SDF), sealants, Curodont, resin infiltration, and Cariesolv, as well as minimally invasive restorative techniques including ART, ITR, the Hall technique, and selective caries removal. The lecture will also emphasize practical clinical decision-making, case selection, and effective communication strategies to improve caregiver understanding, treatment acceptance, and adherence to preventive recommendations. Attendees will leave with practical tools to integrate minimally invasive principles into daily pediatric practice while improving patient comfort, clinical outcomes, and long-term oral health.

• Describe emerging trends in minimally invasive pediatric dentistry and their impact on contemporary caries management and prevention strategies.
• Apply evidence-based recommendations for fluoride therapies and silver diamine fluoride (SDF) in the prevention and non-invasive management of dental caries.
• Evaluate current sealant protocols and materials to optimize caries prevention and long-term clinical outcomes.
• Incorporate minimally invasive treatment techniques including atraumatic restorative treatment (ART), interim therapeutic restorations (ITR), the Hall technique, partial caries removal, Curodont, resin infiltration and Cariesolv into clinical decision making for pediatric patients.
• Develop effective communication strategies for patients and caregivers to improve understanding, acceptance, and adherence to preventive and minimally invasive treatment recommendations.
• Integrate minimally invasive principles into daily clinical practice to preserve tooth structure, improve patient experience, and reduce the need for more invasive procedures.

The world of restorative dental materials gets more complicated every year. The growth of CAD/CAM dentistry is promoting the development of new materials that promise to be faster, stronger, or more esthetic. This presentation will explore the history of dental ceramics for indirect restorations in the dental profession - highlighting both the failures and success in the literature. Building on the lessons learned from “classic” clinical studies, we can confidently recommend modern ways to use the full spectrum of dental ceramics to achieve esthetic and long-lasting results. Participants in this webinar should expect to learn about DICOR – a pioneering material in castable dental ceramics that made many dentists skeptical about ceramic restorations, the development of millable ceramics and hybrid ceramics, and the evolution of zirconia as a dental restorative material.

• Review the history and development of all-ceramic restorative materials.
• Compare and contrast indirect ceramic restorative material physical and esthetic characteristics.
• Select appropriate restorative materials to achieve the desired restorative outcome.
• Apply the correct surface treatment to achieve optimal adhesive strength.

Static guided implant surgery has expanded from single-tooth replacement to complex full-arch rehabilitation, but predictable outcomes depend on more than simply fabricating a surgical guide. This lecture will review key clinical principles that determine success when transferring a prosthetically driven digital plan to the surgical field. Through representative cases ranging from a single posterior implant to full-arch stackable guide workflows, participants will learn how guide support, guide seating, prosthetic planning, safety margins, anatomical limitations, and intraoperative verification affect surgical accuracy and clinical decision-making.

The lecture will emphasize that guided surgery is an adjunct to diagnosis and treatment planning, not a substitute for clinical judgment. Current consensus recommendations support prosthetically driven planning, CBCT-based assessment of vital structures, and an additional 2 mm safety margin when planning implant positions near critical anatomy or adjacent implants. The presentation will also highlight practical failure points such as guide misfit and inadequate support. By the end of the session, clinicians should be able to identify when static guided surgery is predictable, when additional verification or fixation is needed, and when the surgical plan should be modified or abandoned.

• Describe the essential components of a prosthetically driven static guided surgery workflow, from digital planning and CBCT interpretation to guide design, seating verification, and surgical execution.
• Identify key clinical factors that influence guide accuracy, including guide support, edentulous span length, inspection windows, fixation, sleeve access, mouth opening, irrigation, and proximity to vital structures.
• Differentiate the major workflow considerations for single implants, multiple implants, distal-extension cases, and full-arch guided surgery, including when to trust, verify, modify, or abandon a static surgical guide.

Dental Ceramics: From Past to Practice

This course provides an overview of the historical evolution of dental ceramics and how advances in composition, processing, and CAD/CAM technology have enhanced their reliability and expanded their clinical use. Participants will learn the key properties that differentiate major ceramic categories—such as feldspathic, leucite-reinforced, lithium-based glass ceramics, and high-strength polycrystalline materials like zirconia—and how these characteristics guide clinical decisions involving case selection, preparation design, bonding protocols, and cementation.

• Understand the historical evolution of dental ceramics and the technological advances that shaped current materials.
• Identify the key properties that differentiate major ceramic categories used in restorative dentistry.
• Recognize how material characteristics influence clinical decision-making.
• Evaluate appropriate bonding and cementation protocols based on ceramic type and clinical indication.
• Integrate modern ceramic materials into clinical practice with improved predictability and confidence.

This webinar examines the most recent developments in peroxide-based and non-peroxide bleaching agents, with a focus on phthalimido-peroxy-caproic acid (a peroxyl derivative), cysteine proteases and sodium dithionites (non-peroxide agents). The rationale for seeking non-peroxide agents, elucidates their mechanisms of action, and potential safety concerns are addressed.

• Review the evidence for reducing sensitivity in dental bleaching
• Provide a list of non-peroxide bleaching agents
• Discuss mechanisms for non-peroxide bleaching agents and their rationale for use
• Review patients for appropriate non-peroxide base bleaching treatment

This lecture explores the modern decision-making process for posterior partial coverage restorations, emphasizing conservative, evidence-based preparation designs. Through a progression from traditional gold restorations to contemporary adhesive techniques, participants will gain an understanding of the biological, mechanical, and esthetic principles that guide clinical choices. The session will highlight modern restorative philosophies such as Immediate Dentin Sealing (IDS), Deep Margin Elevation (DME), and Cavity Design Optimization (CDO), providing a comprehensive framework for selecting the appropriate restorative approach in daily practice.

• Identify clinical scenarios that indicate direct versus indirect posterior restorations.
• Apply decision-making principles to determine the need for total versus selective cuspal coverage.
• Understand the role of Immediate Dentin Sealing, Deep Margin Elevation, and Controlled Adhesive Cementation in improving long-term outcomes.
• Evaluate preparation geometry and margin design for enhanced function, esthetics, and longevity.
• Recognize how to integrate modern restorative philosophies to achieve predictable adhesive restorations.

Oral cancer remains a significant public health concern, with early detection and intervention playing a critical role in improving patient outcomes. As frontline providers, dental professionals are uniquely positioned to identify early signs of disease and implement preventive strategies during routine clinical encounters. This lecture will equip the dental team with the knowledge and clinical insight necessary to recognize risk factors, detect early lesions, and intervene effectively.

• Understand the prevalence of oral cancer
• Identify common oral potentially malignant disorders (OPMDs)
• Select the diagnostic process and appropriate management of OPMDs to prevent transformation to oral cancer

This engaging virtual lecture explores the integration of phase contrast microscopy into dental hygiene practice to enhance patient education, improve treatment planning, and support a shift from reactive to proactive care. Participants will learn how visualizing oral biofilm in real time can increase patient awareness, motivation, and compliance. Through clinical case studies, attendees will examine how microscopic findings can guide individualized treatment decisions, aid in early detection of periodontal disease, and strengthen the oral–systemic connection. Practical strategies for incorporating microscopy into patient communication and clinical workflows will be emphasized.

• Prepare and observe dental samples, identifying key features relevant to clinical practice.
• Demonstrate the ability to identify periodontal pathogens using a phase contrast microscope.
• Recognize early indicators of periodontal disease through microscopic observation.
• Discuss strategies for effectively communicating microscopic findings to patients.
• Implement preventive measures informed by microscopic insights to enhance patient oral health.