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Taking Advantage of Online, Remote Opportunities

Dentists are always looking for fun, new innovative ideas to get continuing education credits. Whether you are taking a course on a cruise or taking a class as part of a weekend instructional course, it is always beneficial to review techniques and get updates on treatment protocols. Since the Covid-19 pandemic, many general and pediatric dentists are taking advantage of online, remote opportunities for continuing education courses.

Some unique ideas to get you motivated for online learning can range from clinical treatment pearls to practice management. Regardless of what type of continuing education course you take, it is always advantageous to apply what you learn to your office to improve productivity and patient care. The benefits of an online continuing education course are limitless, but the most popular reasons dentists opt for them are:

  • Less time away from home and practice
  • Avoiding travel costs
  • Revisiting courses you enjoy through video
  • Interacting with other dental professionals globally

Some excellent online continuing education ideas for dentists are detailed below.

1. Dental Study Clubs

There are so many benefits to joining a study club. It is a great opportunity to network with other dental specialists and discuss complicated treatment plans. Where else can you get constructive feedback on a dental case from an unbiased, educated group?

Study clubs like The Spears Institute allow you to engage with other small groups through online education modules. They present courses that may interest you ranging from implant dentistry to digital technology.

2. Dental Product Education

With constantly evolving dental materials and technology, it is always beneficial to keep up-to-date on the latest trends. Companies like Colgate and Phillips present live webinars and product tutorials so that you can have access to new techniques and products.

You can enhance your clinical skills by joining live interactive online courses. Some companies like Phillips Oral Healthcare Online Learning offer podcasts so that you can learn at your own convenience and still earn continuing education credits.

Dentalcare.com sponsored by Crest offers over 150 online continuing education courses ranging from behavior management to preventative techniques. It will help track your credits and exams as you take an online syllabus at your own pace.

3. American Orthodontic Society

For general and pediatric dentists looking to incorporate orthodontics into their practice, there is no greater place to look than the American Orthodontic Society (AOS). The AOS offers online, virtual courses taught by Dr. Bradford Williams to help dentists learn how to diagnose and treat patients using the straight wire system.

The virtual course can help dentists earn 100 continuing education credits in the convenience of their own home. The sessions are beneficial because they cover a span of treatment from teaching how to recognize and diagnose Class-I and II malocclusions, and treat cases, through to retention techniques. Many general and pediatric dentists can apply these credits to actual clinical practice to improve dental productivity and keep orthodontics under one roof rather than referring out.

4. American Dental Association

The American Dental Association (ADA) is a wonderful resource for dentists to learn about their state requirements for continuing education coursework. The ADA provides hundreds of online courses that you can take anytime, anywhere. You know that when you take an ADA approved continuing education course, it will certainly count as credit and it is highly rated by the national organization.

The ADA has coursework ranging from dental coding to how to safely deal with your practice under Covid-19 guidelines. ADA members are offered discounts for online continuing education courses and you also earn a subscription to the well-respected Journal of the American Dentistry Association (JADA).

5. Viva Learning

Viva Learning is a well known, ADA approved partner for continuing education courses. You can take an online live course or access over one thousand on-demand webinars, and hundreds of product videos. There is so much diverse content that you can take part in them from home or work, giving you the opportunity to earn hundreds of valuable credits.

One of the greatest aspects of Viva Learning is that they are dedicated to interactive online learning and stay active on the latest dental technology and treatments. Viva Learning will track your continuing education activity and store your certificates. Its custom smart app helps you access the software from your own smart device at the convenience of your home or work office.