Choosing the Right CE Courses
Every dentist must take continuing education course credits to maintain their license. While specific requirements vary from state to state, all dentists must choose approved courses or seminars to develop their knowledge and skills.
Choosing the right course can help you not only meet licensing requirements but also grow your dental practice. To identify the best course opportunities to support your ongoing career development, follow these four key steps.
1. Identify any required courses.
To maintain your license, you need a certain number of continuing education hours. Many states have requirements for a set number of those hours to include specific areas. Infection control, prescribing controlled substances, and CPR training are common examples. Identifying your state’s specific category requirements is the first step to planning out your continuing education calendar.
Finding courses that meet these requirements should be your top priority. After that, you can start to identify other courses to make up the remainder of your credits.
2. Consider which areas appeal to you.
Once you have the mandatory courses squared away, consider which areas of continuing education appeal to you. There are many options available to learn specialized skills or to train in new treatment methods.
Make sure that any courses you consider are approved by your state’s licensing body. You should also look closely at specific requirements and limits on in-person clinical courses vs. online learning. Many states have specific guidelines that restrict your options.
Considering how your continuing education will benefit your practice is another important consideration. Ideally, the courses you choose should help expand your horizons both as a practicing dentist and as a business owner.
3. Take a closer look at your options.
After putting together a short list of potential options, you can sit down and look at them more closely. There are a few key criteria that you should consider when making your final decision.
First, is the area of continuing education you’re considering going to help you provide better care for your patients? Consider the needs of your patient base and which treatments you find yourself referring out frequently.
You should also consider overhead. Many treatment options you can add to your practice require an investment in new equipment. Whether that’s the right move for your practice at this time can guide your decision.
Consider where the path you’re choosing will lead your practice. You may find that path involves hiring more team members or moving to a larger office down the line. Take a look at what you want for your practice in the short term and long term.
4. Find the right course provider.
Once you’ve identified an area that you’d like to pursue, you need to choose a course provider. There are many options available, and they vary widely in their quality.
It’s important to avoid fast-track courses that leave you without the skills you need to start offering treatment at your practice. Instead, find a course provider that offers hands-on experience and instruction from reputable industry experts.
Orthodontics is an excellent CE opportunity.
If you’re looking for an excellent CE opportunity, then straight wire orthodontics courses could be for you.
Many of your patients likely need orthodontic work, especially if you are a general, pediatric, or family dentist. If you have been referring these cases out, consider how much your patients’ experiences would improve by working with you directly instead.
Orthodontic certification courses can prepare you to provide effective treatment without significant overhead. Unlike many other specializations, you won’t require extensive investment in expensive equipment to get started.
Orthodontics also provides highly engaging and rewarding work. You can make a big impact in your patients’ lives and see clear progress over time as you guide their orthodontic cases.
There are a variety of treatment options that you can pursue through continuing education. Orthodontics provides some of the best rewards in terms of your ability to care for your patients and practice growth.
Enroll in meaningful orthodontic CE today.
You can earn continuing education course credits and develop practical skills to improve your practice with an orthodontic course for general dentists from Williams GP Orthodontic Seminars. Our courses prepare general and pediatric dentists to successfully diagnose and treat Class I and Class II malocclusions.
This enables you to treat the majority of cases that come through your door, providing better patient care and expanding your horizons. Adding just three to five orthodontic cases per month could increase your bottom line by as much as $150,000 to $300,000 annually. Visit us online to view our available courses and sign up today.
