In order to facilitate your choices for your
Continuing Education program, the following is arranged to
assist you in determining which programs are intended primarily
for doctors, which programs are intended primarily for staff and
which ones are intended for both. Because Dr. and Mrs. Psaltis
have such a wide variety of material, they are often
hard-pressed to make recommendations without more knowledge of
the expected audience. As such, the descriptions below will
assist you in determining how to select the courses from the
available presentations to best fit the needs of your overall CE
convention/program.
It is entirely possible to mix and match programs to suit your
needs. Some programs are available in full-day format and each
one can also be presented as a half-day. In every case, the
variations are noted below. While the intention of this list is
not to LIMIT the selections to the specific audiences, the goal
is to help select the programs that are most likely to fill
seats, based on the expected attendees. Dr. and Mrs. Psaltis are
always available to discuss these matters, but strongly
encourage you to look through the listings below in order to
better determine what will serve your conference/meeting best.
If the expected audience will consist mostly of
dentists, it has been my experience that the "solid" dental
topics are most appealing. The staff members may not find these
courses to be as interesting as the ones listed below, but can
certainly expect to learn much about pediatric dentistry.
Numbers 1 and 2 are equally in demand and number 2 tends
to draw a reasonable number of staff members.
Six-hour format: An
extensive review of all procedures in pediatric restorative
dentistry, including Diagnosis (Clinical and Radiographic),
Treatment Planning
(including cases that participants diagnose and
treatment plan from bitewing x-rays), primary anterior and
permanent posterior restorations, primary pulp
therapy, stainless steel crowns, anterior strip
crowns and preventive restorations with air abrasion technology.
Three-hour format: The more
abbreviated review of pediatric restorative procedures with less
emphasis on diagnosis, treatment planning and air abrasion.
2. SO LITTLE ROOM, SO MUCH TO SEE
(The complete pediatric dental
examination)
Every pediatric dental examination is like a new
patient examination simply because of the dynamics of growth and
development. Furthermore, there is much to see
in the mouths of children other than caries and
loose teeth. This program thoroughly covers all aspects of the
pediatric dental examination including recognition of
anomolies, growth and development, symmetry and
balance of the dentition and other components that make
examinations on children far from routine. Both
clinical and radiographic photographs illustrate
the areas of discussion.
3. BABY STEPS **also very
appropriate for staff
(Infant and Preschool Dental Care for
General Dentists)
Emphasis is now being placed on
establishing a dental home for all children upon eruption of the
first tooth or at 12 months of age. It is essential that all
dental care
providers become skilled at the steps
necessary to make these visits successful for both the child and
parents. This course discusses developmental ages, appropriate
guidelines and clinical tips.
4. PREVENTIVE AND INTERCEPTIVE ORTHODONTICS
This three hour presentation deals with all
aspects of early orthodontic considerations for the child
patient. It is not a comprehensive orthodontic course. This
lecture enables the audience to be familiar with
all forms of space maintainers and many simple active
appliances. There is also a segment on the diagnosis of early
orthodontic referrals, emphasizing which
components of the patient's growth pattern is most likely to be
helped by early treatment and which ones can wait.
5. LIVE YOUR DREAMS
(Cures for common practice headaches)
You love your work, but do not share the same
feelings about some of those bothersome aspects of “running a
business.” This lecture explores the most common
non-clinical areas that prevent many dentists from
obtaining complete joy and satisfaction in their workplace.
Specific handouts will aid the attendees in working
toward solutions to these compelling areas of
frustration. Included are conversations about Conditions of
Employment, vision, Team building, effective
communication with patients, controlling personal
financial stresses and other administrative aspects of private
practice.
6. STAINLESS STEEL CROWNS ARE A SNAP (A Hands-on Workshop)
**see Important Note below
Have you ever wished you could place stainless
steel crowns as effortlessly as a pediatric dentist? Now you can
in this hands-on workshop. Live demonstrations
(on a dentoform) will show you how to prep both a
posterior primary molar and a primary anterior incisor.The
demonstrations will also show how to fit, contour
and cement a stainless steel crownon the molar and
a composite strip crown on the incisor. All participants will
complete all the procedures with supervision from
Dr. Psaltis.
Important note regarding Stainless Steel Crown workshop:
If your organization is already in possession of electric
handpieces (and motors) as well as lights, it will greatly
enhance the possibilities of bringing this workshop to your
group. As you read the information below, you will see how
having our own equipment will reduce your costs substantially.
Depending on the location of your meeting, if you have this
equipment, the fee for shipping the "kits" (which contain all
the materials necessary for the course) is approximately
$500-900.
As of March, 2012, all sponsoring organizations must be prepared
to pay the cost of shipping, facility receiving and shipping
handling costs and on-sight storing and handling the materials
for this workshop. The 3M/ESPE Corporation provides ALL the
supplies and equipment for the course (the kits), but the
expenses involved in shipping handpieces, motors, bench lights,
dentoforms, crowns, pliers, curing lights, etc, has become very
high. The current estimate for this shipping is approximately
$4000-5000. On the positive side, EVERYTHING is provided, so
that the sponsoring organization needs only supply the room,
tables and the AV equipment. Typical charges for the workshop
have ranged from $200-$350 per attendee, with a maximum audience
of 24. 3M/ESPE also requires that the course be presented both
morning and afternoon, in the same room location, in order to
make the use of their personnel (who set it all up and take it
all down) worthwhile. The course has sold out in virtually every
venue in which it has been presented, making it a potentially
highly positive cash-flow situation for the organizations. If
you are considering this program, you must contact Dr. Psaltis
far in advance to insure that the equipment will be available.
You must also be prepared to commit to 3M/ESPE for payment of
shipping and storage.
Presentations Primarily
for Staff
If you wish to have programs that will be
certain to educate and entertain staff members, the
following would be strong choices. Many dentists consider
behavior management, communication skills and
interpersonal relations to be secondeary to clinical
skills. Staff does NOT feel that way. Number 1 below is
the most popular and most commonly requested presentation
that Dr. Psaltis gives. Increasing numbers of dentists ARE
coming to this program, although the majority of the
audience remains assistants and hygienists.
1. IF YOU CAN'T BEAT 'EM, ENJOY THEM
(Behavior Management from a new perspective)
Six-hour format: This fun program
covers all aspects of Behavior Management, which is far more
than simply "controlling the child" in a dental setting.
Emphasis
is on the behavior of the provider, which
ultimately enables the child to succeed in a dental setting.
Techniques for handling the child are covered (some with video
footage), as well as specific techniqes for
altering negative behaviors, such as needle-phobia, gagging,
etc. This participation program helps the audience
understand the child's view-point in the dental
setting. There is material on how to effectively deal with
parents and help make them a part of the success of the
child's experience rather than a detriment.
Three-hour format: This shorter
version covers the main points in the longer program, but
without as much time spent on the specific negative behaviors
or video
footage.
2. PROBLEM PATIENTS? NO PROBLEM! (Presented by Mary
Ellen and Greg Psaltis)
Most of us love our work, but don’t always like
the people who receive it. Dealing with patients (and staff)
can sometimes be the most difficult part of our day. As
professionals, we learn much about technical
skills, but very little about what will keep patients coming
to your office—excellent communications. Learn to identify
hidden agendas, why patients behave in different
ways and the shortcut clues to dealing effectively with them.
These skills will enhance your communication when
presenting treatment plans, scheduling and
teaching oral hygiene techniques. Audience participation
exercises and role plays by the speakers demonstrate the
techniques during the program so that
application of the information can be immediate. Are patients
really the problem or is it our understanding of them?
3.
DESPERATE DENTAL DIVAS - DIABOLICAL OR DIVINE?
(Presented by Mary Ellen Psaltis)
(Women Working With Women)
If all the women in your office were cats, would
fur be flying nearly every day? Why is it that women, who are
wonderful nurturers, can be manipulating, conniving
and downright mean? Who needs to turn on the TV
to see drama? Just show up at work.Wouldn’t you like to have
more harmony and cooperation in an
environment dominated by women? This lively
presentation will help you have a better understanding of the
underlying dynamics at your workplace and offer
thoughtful ideas for transforming your office
environment. Laugh and learn and leave the cat fights behind.
4.
DO THESE PANTS MAKE ME LOOK FAT? AND
OTHER NUTRITIONAL CONUNDRUMS (Presented by Mary Ellen Psaltis)
Nutrition news changes daily. What is true?
What really makes a difference? This fat paced, yet
in-depth presentation gives helpful information that sorts out
the
science and the sense of food. Increase
your knowledge of the benefits of fats, why choosing eggs is
important and what supplements are essential. Increase your
awareness of nutritional trends and feel
more confident in the decisions about your own well being.
This course will cover 20 of the most asked nutritional
questions,
covering topics from cholesterol levels to
organic produce.
Presentations for Dentists
and Staff (or spouses)
If your meeting is one that entire Teams attend together (with
the doctor) or if you are considering topics with broader
appeal, all of the following are very suitable for these
cases. Number 1 below may be the best overall program
for a general audience because it provides considerable
clinical information (such as how to do stainless steel
crowns, primary pulp therapy, local anesthesia and sealants)
while still covering a very broad range of topics that are of
immediate interest to any offices where children are treated.
1. BUT AREN'T THEY JUST BABY TEETH?
Six hour format: You’ve heard
these words before and can’t help thinking to yourself, “Oh
no, another ignorant parent.” Parents who pose this question
(and
others) are not really ignorant—they are often
working from old beliefs or their own experiences. The ability
to answer these common questions insures a
greater understanding of the pediatric dental
issues at hand and creates a positive relationship through
effective communications. This program is based on
questions routinely heard from parents of
pediatric dental patients and covers a broad spectrum of
topics. Included are primary anterior trauma, treatment
planning, “rotten teeth,” timing of initial
examinations and more. The scientific basis and the rationales
for treatment is a significant part of the lecture.
Practitioners
who treat children will benefit from this
engaging course.
Three hour format:, as many of the
24 questions that time permits are answered. For some
meetings, the presentation is separated into
two
three-hour
presentations. In this case, the second
half, which is a continuation of the material, is entitled,
CAN'T
WE JUST PULL THEM
2. WHAT DO PATIENTS REALLY WANT?
This three hour presentation deals with the
findings of a dental survey in which more than 20,000 patients
answered the questions, "What Do You Like About
Dental Practices?" and "How Would You Make a
Dental Practice Better?" The top 10 responses are listed and
the ensuing conversation concerns strategies for
implementing these ideas into a practice. This
program has participation of the audience.
3. HEART WORK ISN'T HARD
Perhaps you've read or heard about health care
professionals who have traveled to foreign countries to
provide humanitarian treatment to the disadvantaged. How
in the world can they do that, you wonder. In
this program, learn about several existing programs that would
allow you to participate immediately and also about
how Dr. Psaltis and his hygienist have created
two programs in Mexico on their own. Legalities, logistics and
the rich rewards will be discussed with visual support
of photographs and videos of the programs in
action. This is a program that will touch your heart and
possibly have you taking your dreamsof helping others to the
next step.
4. ARE YOU A MAN OR ARE YOU A MESS? (Presented by
Mary Ellen and Greg Psaltis)
(Caring for Yourself or the Male in Your Life)
Men want to be healthy, they but often take
limited time and energy to incorporate healthy choices into
their daily life. Find out more about being active in
your
staying well as you age process, rather than
becoming a victim of your own inattention. This program is
designed with the balanced wellness of men in mind, and
also speaks directly to the women who are often
the primary support and guidance for the males in their lives.
Practical, humorous and insightful, this program will
direct men and their loved ones on a path to
long-term wellness.