Schedule
Academic Program Outline
Friday
A New Focus on the Treatment of Infants and Toddlers into Adulthood
Dr. Amy Luedemann 8:00 - 9:30
Recent attention has been given to the diagnosis and treatment of tethered tissues raising our appreciation of the significance that this has to the development of the cranio-facial- respiratory complex.
Dr Amy Luedemann will discuss the recent controversy surrounding the NY Times article” Inside the Booming Business of Cutting Tongues”. She will discuss research, publications and clinical outcomes of the thought leaders across disciplines. In particular she will give us an appreciation of the importance of evaluating the competent airway and how airway health is changing the practice of pediatric dentistry
What you will learn in this lecture:
How to manage airways in the pediatric population. To identify multiple conditions in the pediatric patient that can mimic tongue tie. Discuss the importance of the relationship of tethered tissue to airway competence and facial growth and development. Also perhaps touch upon breastfeeding
Review considerations that affect breathing, sleeping and oral function
The 2 opposing sides of "tongue tie is a money grab" vs "tongue tie is undertreated" by showing that both have valid concerns.
Discuss new technology being developed to find ways to follow infants/ toddlers and help communication with the parents and staff i.e. Pacified and Gnathic apps (i.e. palatal support/transverse dimension and mandibular retrusion and clinical parameters (shown/listed in the Gnathic app)
Bio: A native Houstonian, Dr. Amy Luedemann has been a board-certified pediatric dentist since 2007. She has been a thought leader and innovator in her field for more than a decade. Dr. Luedemann’s clinic, Kidstown Dental, was the 3rd clinic in the United States to have an interdisciplinary clinic on site to help infants with oral restrictions, including an osteopath for guided releases and IBCLCs for functional support. For “older” kids, she has brought in-house myofunctional therapy, PT, Integrative Chiropractors, SLPs, and a host of different types of providers depending on patient needs to support the most challenging patients. She has been transforming little lives with growth and development guidance since 2015 and in recent years has been one of the first providers to innovate new appliances that are helping 0-3 year old children with sleep apnea.
Dr. Katherine Ahn 9:30 - 11:00
Pediatric Dentistry begins the journey of a lifetime of oral health. The first steps are an integral part our patients’ future healthy lifestyle.
Dr Ahn will discuss the technological advances in biometrics and how the future use of AI can now allow the monitoring of jaw growth in retrognathic growers in childhood. With this early awareness we are better equipped to develop our treatment courses into adulthood... She will discuss how oral function can persist as airway, breathing and sleep problems into adolescent and adult years…and if unrecognized, often present unanticipated challenges for the general dentist in later years. We are truly in a unique position to coordinate patient centered care, across disciplines, and contribute to ongoing health lifestyles that last a lifetime. She will share a few case studies of adults she see in her practice that had to go through extensive suffering and treatment that could have had a better quality of life had their root causes been addressed earlier
Crooked teeth and jaw issues often compromise our smile and self confidence. From braces and Invisalign to palatal expanders and ALF appliance therapy; look beyond just teeth and aim to guide the jaw growth for children & straighten adult teeth into a position that is optimally aligned with the jaw joints and the airway.
What you will learn in this lecture
The importance of monitoring patient growth from birth to adulthood using current and new technology
Discuss i.e. Gnathic app
Crooked teeth and jaw issues often compromise our smile and self-confidence. From braces and Invisalign to palatal expanders and ALF appliance therapy, our incredible dentists and orthodontists look beyond just teeth and aim to guide the jaw growth for children & straighten adult teeth into a position that is optimally aligned with the jaw joints and the airway.
Bio: Dr. Ahn obtained her undergraduate degree in biology at Loma Linda University. Followed by her dental degree from UCLA School of Dentistry. She then completed a two-year pediatric residency at UCLA with a strong focus on early growth and development.During her pediatric residency, Dr. Ahn acquired skills and experience in orthodontics and craniofacial development. This education has proven invaluable in her focus on healthy airway support and jaw development. Dr. Ahn founded the Aviara center, where optimal health can be achieved through orofacial development, proper jaw and teeth alignment, and most importantly, with an uncompromising focus on proper airway development. The partners with multiple professionals to achieve a multidisciplinary approach to achieving optimal health.
Dr David Tesini 11:00 - 12:00
Roundtable: Point – Counterpoint: Challenging the Experts
Course participants will have the opportunity to challenge the experts, and put forth their own ideas for a best practice model.
Bio: Dr Tesini is recently retired from the private practitioner of Pediatric Dentistry and Orthodontics but continues with his faculty position as an Associate Clinical Professor at TUSDM. He was the past Associate Chief Dentist of the Tufts Dental Facilities for Patients with Disabilities, and the past President of the Academy of Dentistry for Persons with Disabilities. In addition, he is the past Treasurer of Special Care Organizations in Dentistry in Chicago, IL, and the past Vice Chair of the Standards, Survey, and Behavioral Health Care committees of the Joint Commission (JCO).. Dr. Tesini lectures both nationally and internationally, and he published numerous peer-reviewed articles in the area of behavior management, dentistry for patients with special needs, and infant and toddler growth and development. Dr. Tesini is the founder and past President of Project Stretch: Dentistry Reaching Out to Children, a non-profit foundation serving the dental needs of indigent children in not only our country but also in third-world countries across the globe. He has completed fellowships in the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh, Scotland, the International College of Dentists, and the American College of Dentists. He is a past Trustee and Parliamentarian of the AAPD and recently retired from his private practice of Pediatric Dentistry and Orthodontics. He is the co-founder of Toothprints PC, TW Innovations LLC, as his entrepreneurial endeavors extend to developing ergonomically-designed baby products, such as pacifiers, teethers, and baby bottles licensed to several baby product companies; he holds over a dozen patents in the child Identification and baby product industry. He and his wife have a Prosecco vineyard in Italy.
Saturday
Mr. Paul Murphy Biography 8:00 - 10:00
Building a Ransomware Resilient Practice
This presentation will give you the tools to adopt a proactive and comprehensive approach to cybersecurity, significantly reducing the risk of falling victim to ransomware and mitigating the potential damages associated with these malicious attacks. Learn how to equip yourself with the knowledge and tools necessary to protect your practice's data, reputation, and bottom line from the ever-evolving threat of ransomware attacks.
You have set up a great team of professionals at your practice and have been trusted with important data. But sometimes you need a specialist to take care of a critical issue - cybersecurity is one of those issues. During this presentation, we will discuss various techniques for safe browsing, email security, strong passwords, social media security, artificial intelligence (AI), password managers, multi-factor authentication, and much more.
What you will learn in this lecture:
The importance of training your entire organization on how to recognize and avoid threats
The differences between a cybersecurity company and an IT company
Learn how to protect yourself from a cyberattack by implementing technologies that your IT company is not providing
Analyze how hackers break into your network
Understand why small and medium-size practices are constantly falling victim to ransomware attacks
Distinguish why hackers are stealing ALL patient data
Review real-world case studies of practices hit by devastating ransomware attacks
Determine why backups won’t prevent you from having to pay the ransom demand
Bio: Paul has over 20 years of experience in the technology field. He regularly leads training, webinars, and educational workshops on the latest trends in data security, particularly as they relate to the dental industry, healthcare, legal, and financial fields.
Ms. Charlotte Coté 10:00 - 12:00
The New Role of the Office Manager and How It Ties into Remote Employment, and Chair Utilization
The lecture will discuss the dental practice manager's role has changed significantly over the past five years. The practice manager of yesterday's dental practice wore many hats. They were responsible–for but not limited to–payroll, accounts payable,marketing, HR management, hiring, insurance contracts, posting payments, submitting claims, software updates, fee negotiations, posting insurance checks , confirmation calls, filling cancellations and day to day operations. As we transitioned into our new normal post Covid, we realized a significant squeeze on the profit margin of the dental practice. In addition to increased supply and labor costs we also experienced significant staff shortages.
Today's practice manager must delegate some tasks that were formerly his or her priority . They must be in tune with chair utilization, supply costs, efficient workflows and the practice profitability. Some things just can't be outsourced. Patient relationships, case presentation and day to day operations will always remain in house. Does the manager need to be the one to post insurance checks? Having the highest paid admin person posting checks doesn't make sense financially. Transitioning these tasks can cause some uncertainty. If you remember transitioning from paper charts or postcard reminders then you might remember the uncertainty it caused. Today we wouldn't work without them. Your team is talented and their time is better spent on tasks that nurture patient relationships and the practice profitability.
What you will learn in this lecture:
The traditional role of an office manager vs the new role of the office manager.
How and which tasks should be delegated to other members of the team.
What assignments can be outsourced, and to whom?
How to get your team to rally behind these changes.
Bio: Charlotte is a distinguished dental consultant with a deep-rooted connection to New England, where she has carved a successful career that evolved from office manager to a revered figure in dental consulting. Her expertise and commitment have led her to play a pivotal role in facilitating numerous transitions within private dental practices, always with a keen eye for aligning sellers with buyers who share similar philosophies. Charlotte has presented at the Greater Long Island and the Greater New York meetings.
Beyond her consulting prowess, Charlotte is a Certified Bent Erickson and Associate Consultant, showcasing her versatile skill set in enhancing dental practice operations. Her passion for the dental industry is further exemplified by her founding of the Alena Smiles Foundation that assists cancer patients in receiving essential dental treatment before undergoing chemotherapy.