Program Directors

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.


Presentations Primarily for Dentists

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.

1. 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.

2. THINK AND WORK LIKE A PEDIATRIC DENTIST
    Pediatric dentistry is far more than filling teeth on little people. It is managing behavior, understanding facial development, establishing successful treatment plans and performing the   
    appropriate procedures.This course will stimulate your thinking about dental age, sequential care and management tools for successful care for children in a general practice. Part of the 
    vastly different world of pediatrics includes watching a child grow as each examination with a pediatric patient is actually a new patient examination. If you have ever wondered “how pediatric
    dentists can handle kids,” you’ll find out here.

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. RESTORE YOUR CONFIDENCE IN ESSENTIAL PEDIATRIC RESTORATIVE CARE 
    A review of the critical procedures in pediatric restorative dentistry, including  primary pulp therapy, stainless steel crowns, sealants and local anesthetics.

5. PEDIATRIC 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.

6. A NEW GPS
    Whether you are in your first year out of your training program or just short of retirement, this presentation is for you. Stimulate your thoughts and activate practical,
    achievable steps to increase your enjoyment of work and assure that your investment of time, money and effort will continue to pay off over a lifetime. Drawing upon
    the advice of several dental experts (as well as others from outside), the material will help you establish a plan to enhance your professional and personal life. Both
    realistic and fun, your new GPS will guide you to the place you’ve always wanted to be.

7. 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.


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 secondary 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. GETTING PAST "UH-OH," "NO" AND "HELICOPTERS" **also very appropriate for doctors    
    Behavior Management in the Pediatric Dental Setting

    Pediatric dentistry is unique in that each appointment requires that the dentist must successfully communicate with both children and parents and manage the behavior of both as well as  
    self. In this program, principles of behavior management are discussed and demonstrated in video footage showing actual patients in treatment and how to best handle them. While
    dentistry often focuses on the technical aspects of our work, in this specialty, it is only through effective handling of patients that our technical work can be at its best. And the parents?
    They are the entertainment and promotional program, not the “problem” that most people believe.

2. EATING AS IF YOUR LIFE DEPENDS ON IT (Presented by Mary Ellen)
   
Of course it does. Learn what happens when you eat. The power of food is amazing. It can turn on or off your genetic heritage. Food impacts the quality and activity of your biome,
    which is a foundation for your immunity system and much more. You feed your brain. You are experiencing the effects of your food whether or not your recognize them. It's wonderful
    to eat for power, pleasure and purpose. Use up-to-date nutrition information to create strategies to add quality to your quantity of life. Eating is not a burden, in fact, the joys and
    unintended consequences might surprise and delight you.

3.  BRAIN DRAIN? OR BRAIN GAIN! (Presented by Mary Ellen)
     Are you optimizing your brainpower? The choices you make every day create your path of your brain's healthful longevity - or not. You can use brain science and epigenetic information
     to make smarter, more effective lifestyle and food choices. We will examine the impact of thoughts, intentions, food selections, physical activity and environment on your brain health
     and ultimately on your entire life.

4.  HEALTH BY THE NUMBERS (Presented by Mary Ellen)
    
Bring your willing to look at your health-related numbers that go past your height and weight. How many vegetables you really need? How much is enough fiber? Let's dive into our biome.
     We can count sugars, sleep quality and other daily activities that add up every day for your overall well-being. It is important to know where you are in order to move ahead. Utilize current
     nutrition information to create accountability, design personal strategies and dispel myths.

 5. PROBLEM PATIENTS? NO PROBLEM!  (Presented by Mary Ellen and Greg Psaltis) **also very appropriate for doctors
     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?
 
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. EATING AS IF YOUR LIFE DEPENDS ON IT (Presented by Mary Ellen)
   
Of course it does. Learn what happens when you eat. The power of food is amazing. It can turn on or off your genetic heritage. Food impacts the quality and activity of your biome,
    which is a foundation for your immunity system and much more. You feed your brain. You are experiencing the effects of your food whether or not your recognize them. It's wonderful
    to eat for power, pleasure and purpose. Use up-to-date nutrition information to create strategies to add quality to your quantity of life. Eating is not a burden, in fact, the joys and
    unintended consequences might surprise and delight you.

3. I WAS ON THE INTERNET LAST NIGHT
    We all have had the experience of patients (or parents of patients) coming in to our practices and questioning our treatment recommendations because of their new-found knowledge they 
     obtained from the internet. In this course, we will explore why this is happening so frequently, what ramifications it can have on your practice and how to deal with it. Specific issues,
     such as primary pulp medicaments, fluoride and sealant materials will be discussed with the controversies surrounding them. Tools for dealing with this increasing phenomenon will help
     practitioners to communicate more effectively when faced with demands from patients.


4. HEART WORK ISN'T HARD WORK
     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. These programs range from caring for patients in your own office to
     established programs both within the United States as well as internationally. Included is also detailed information about how Dr. Psaltis created two programs in Mexico, one of which is now
     providing comprehensive care to more than 500 children each year in Los Cabos. 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 dreams of helping others to the next step






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