This is one of our favorite events and very popular! Meet the new members of the WDDS, reconnect with familiar faces, and enjoy drinks and food with your colleagues. It’s a casual, fun time and you don’t want to miss out.
RSVP encouraged. Dentists are encouraged to bring their spouse/guest.
Cost: No charge!
Join us for a private evening dinner on the patio at YaYa’s to honor outgoing President Mariah Frazier and welcome the newly-elected Ashley Humlicek as the 2025-2026 WDDS President. This is a great evening of fellowship with your dental colleagues.
RSVP required. Dentists are encouraged to bring their spouse/guest.
Cost: $60/person
Ethics with a twist! Bring your staff for a Trivia Night event that will challenge your brain, test your ethics decision-making, and bring lots of laughs. This event usually reaches capacity so don’t wait to register!
Lunch option and snacks provided for attendees on all courses.
About Debbie Seidel Bittke
Debbie Seidel Bittke is a dental hygienist with 30 years of experience as a clinician and educator. She is the founder and CEO of Dental Practice Solutions. Her background includes a former assistant professor at USC in Los Angeles and a former hygiene department program director. Debbie is the founder and CEO of Dental Practice Solutions, a dental hygiene consulting business that takes a holistic, team approach to optimize the hygiene department. Debbie empowers the team, sharing innovative strategies that elevate patient care and create harmony in your dental practice. She is known for her practical insights and expertise that optimize the hygiene department in your dental practice.
Develop an Empowered Team, Work Smarter Together & Revolutionize Patient Care
Harmony in the OP: Top Tips for Hygienists & Dentists to Work Smart Together
Creating harmony in hygiene appointments is essential to delivering exceptional patient care, reducing stress and boosting productivity. This course offers practical strategies for hygienists and dentists to streamline their collaboration, enhance communication and create a more efficient workflow. By mastering time management, leveraging each other’s strengths, and fostering a positive work environment, dental teams will work smarter—not harder—while achieving their shared goals. Join us to discover actionable tips that lead to smoother, less stressful and more productive days in the dental office.
Learning Objectives:
Revelations of the Mouth-Body Connection: Create an Empowered Team for Improved Case Acceptance
Join us for an empowering course designed for dental hygienists and the entire team. Explore the intricate mouth-body connection, master communication skills, and learn strategies that inspire patients to schedule and pay for necessary dental care. Elevate your dental practice by unlocking the secrets to patient engagement and creating optimal oral-systemic health.
Learning Objectives:
Mastering the Hygiene Department Codes: Secrets to Revolutionizing Patient Care
Join us as we delve into the captivating world of insurance codes, empowering dental professionals to provide unparalleled care through effective documentation. From gross debridement to soft tissue diode laser usage, explore the latest advancements in dentistry and how to seamlessly integrate ADA codes into dental hygiene appointments. Don’t miss this opportunity to enhance your skills, boost patient satisfaction, and unlock the true potential of your practice. Unforgettable patient experiences and practice success.
Learning Objectives:
Lunch option and snacks provided for attendees on all courses.
About Leslie Canham
Leslie Canham is a Certified and Registered Dental Assistant with over 49 years of experience in dentistry. For the last 20 years, Leslie’s focus has been on helping dental professionals simplify complex regulations. As a continuing education provider, she is recognized by the California Dental Board and the Academy of General Dentistry. She is also authorized by the Department of Labor as an OSHA Outreach Trainer. Leslie is a Certified Speaker Professional. Fewer than 10 percent of speakers worldwide hold this professional designation. It is earned by a proven track record of speaking experience, expertise, a commitment to ongoing education, outstanding client service, and ethical behavior.
Leslie is the founder of Leslie Canham and Associates, LLC providing in-office training, mock-inspections, consulting, online training and Webinars. Leslie’s goal is to help the dental team navigate the sea of state and federal regulations by providing up to date and accurate information.
Glove It or Leave It: OSHA Compliance Transformed
This program is designed to familiarize the participant with the basic elements of an OSHA safety program for dentistry while meeting the annual Bloodborne Pathogen and Hazard Communication training requirements. We’ll cover how to update your existing infection control program to meet the current CDC Guidelines and review common mistakes dental professionals make. Recognize pitfalls that put dental workers and patients at risk. Examples of infection control DO’s and DON’Ts and hands on demonstrations will provide the participant with valuable tips. This program will motivate the participant to strive for safety and compliance.
Learning Objectives:
Lunch option and snacks provided for attendees on all courses.
About Dr. Tom Viola
With over 30 years’ experience as a board-certified pharmacist, clinical educator, professional speaker and published author, Tom Viola, R.Ph., C.C.P. has earned his national and international reputation as the go-to specialist for making pharmacology practical and useful for all members of the dental team. Tom has presented over 1000 informative, humorous and engaging continuing education seminars and webinars to dental professionals internationally since 2001.
Pharmacology Declassified
AM: Essential Pharmacology for Treating Medically Complex Dental Patients
Dental professionals must frequently draw upon their knowledge of pharmacology for optimal care of today’s medically complex dental patients. However, armed with relatively brief exposure to such a vast subject during formal education and faced with ever-changing medication therapy guidelines, many dental professionals simply cannot keep up with the latest trends in disease state management.
This program will provide an overview of the dental implications of the prescription medications, nonprescription medications, herbal products, nutritional supplements and substances of abuse most frequently used by patients. Special emphasis will be given to delivering this essential information in a format which makes it practical and useful for all members of the dental team.
Learning Objectives
Upon successful completion of this program, participants will be able to:
PM: Waiting to Inhale? Will Cannabis Challenge the Dental Professions as Tobacco Has in the Past?
According to the DEA, cannabis is considered to have no accepted medical use and, thus, it is illegal to possess. Yet, almost every state has enacted legislation aimed at legalizing or decriminalizing cannabis for medical or recreational use. Despite this rise in social and legal acceptance, public health concerns regarding the use of cannabis remain, especially among dental professionals, since the major routes of administration of cannabis involve the oral cavity.
This program will introduce dental professionals to the pharmacology of cannabis, including its various dosage forms, routes of administration and adverse effects. Special emphasis will be placed on the effects of cannabis use on oral health and dental treatment, as well as the proposed use of cannabis in dentistry for the management of patient anxiety and odontogenic pain.
Learning Objectives
Upon successful completion of this program, participants will be able to:
Lunch option and snacks provided for attendees on all courses.
About Dr. Tomaro
Dr. Arthur (Tony) Tomaro is a recognized academician and clinician, an accomplished author, and lectures nationally and internationally. His lectures emphasize the same concepts he practices: comprehensive dental health exams, diagnosis, and treatment plans; conservative esthetic dentistry and materials; smile design; evaluation, diagnosis, and restoration of worn dentition; and financial success (learned skills growing up in a family business). As a speaker for Catapult Education, Dr. Tomaro lectures on aesthetic dentistry and his unique process for natural smile design. He has dedicated his entire career to the advancement of dental education.
Dr. Tomaro received his DDS in 1980 from The University of Michigan and previously his BS and MS in Biology and Histology there. He enjoyed 26 years of private practice in Grand Rapids, MI. He then relocated to Las Vegas to become the Director of Clinics at the Las Vegas Institute and opened a private practice there in 2008.
Dr. Tomaro has completed extensive dental and other academic training, and is considered an expert restorative and esthetic dentist. His extensive and comprehensive knowledge of TMJ and his ability to understand complex occlusion has prompted dentists to not only refer patients to him but to seek him for their own personal treatment. There is a difference in cosmetic dentists. Dr. Tomaro is particularly famous for his style of veneers-smile design. Using facial landmarks to dictate tooth position can both enhance esthetics and conserve tooth structure. Each porcelain veneer is handmade by Dr. Tomaro’s personal ceramist who custom blends the porcelain according to the patient’s desire and Dr. Tomaro’s direction for a natural-looking finish. No two patients will have the same smile. Thus, many Las Vegas celebrities and performers have sought Dr. Tomaro to create their new smile.
Dr. Tomaro serves on the editorial board of national dental publications and is an independent consultant and clinical researcher for many dental manufacturers and laboratories. Dr. Tomaro was awarded an ADA lifetime membership, was past Chairman of the Nevada Dental Association, is a present member of the Illinois State Dental Society, and the Chicago Dental Society.
AI and Dentistry – How can you effectively use in your practice?
AM: Application of AI in Restorative Dentistry
AI is the new buzzword in almost every aspect of our world. What is AI and what role does it presently, and in the future, play in dentistry? Dr. Tomaro will share with attendees how Artificial Intelligence is changing dentistry; as clinicians, how we as healthcare providers benefit, and more importantly, how our patients will benefit. The daily applications of AI in the office.
Learning Objectives:
PM: Maximizing Your Day with AI
Efficiency leads to increased productivity, and achieving efficiency starts with effective time management. Have you ever considered how much time your office spends on the phone verifying patients’ insurance and benefits? Would you like to say goodbye to this task in most cases? Additionally, how much time is devoted to managing the doctors’ and hygienists’ schedules to maximize office production? Discover the transformative power of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in dentistry. This course will show you how AI can enhance both efficiency and productivity. With a focus on educational and practical content, you will acquire the skills necessary to integrate AI successfully into your daily practice. We will discuss strategies for scheduling that meet production goals and overcoming frustrations with insurance, from enrollment to benefits for procedures, in real-time. Learn about clinical analytics and how to achieve an average production increase of 30% or more. Whether you are new to AI or looking to expand your existing knowledge, this course will illustrate how AI technology can lead to improved patient outcomes and greater operational efficiency in your dental practice.
Learning Objectives:
This day is designed for the entire office team.
Lunch option and snacks provided for attendees on all courses.
About Dr. Hansen
Dr. Paul Hansen graduated from the University of Nebraska College of Dentistry, followed by training in oral surgery and endodontics through the Air Force, then long-term training in prosthodontics.
He directed the graduate prosthodontics program at the University of Missouri – Kansas City, then began a private practice in conjunction with the University of Kansas Hospital until he returned home to the University of Nebraska to become the director of the prosthodontics section and dental implants at the Nebraska Medical Center College of Dentistry. He retired as a full professor from Nebraska in 2018, but returned to direct the AEGD program and some intermittent teaching.
Dr. Hansen has multiple teaching awards and was awarded the Judson Hickey Writing Award by the Editors of the Journal of Prosthetic Dentistry for his published article on provisional restorations. He has authored over 25 articles in peer-reviewed journals and co-authored a textbook on erosion. He has lectured on fixed prosthodontics, occlusion, and maxillofacial prosthodontics throughout the world. Dr. Hansen was awarded the Nebraska Alumni Association award for Outstanding Educator in 2024.
The Dental Wear Patient, Diagnosis and Treatment:
The severe wear patient has multiple etiologies. We want to know and understand the cause of the wear and how to tailor our restorative efforts to the patient’s needs.
Initial examination of a new patient occasionally reveals a severely worn dentition characterized by extensive wear and loss of tooth structure. Function and esthetics are compromised, and the prognosis for one or several teeth may be jeopardized if the problem is not corrected. The complex nature of this condition, and its multifactorial etiology, often overwhelms the restorative dentist in treating such widespread tooth destruction.
Loss of tooth structure may be a result of mechanical wear (attrition, abrasion) or chemical attack (erosion). We will review the various etiologies and the risks associated with each when we try to reconstruct the patient. A brief review of dental occlusion will be included as a point of orientation.
We will review the new materials on the market for restoring these patients. The use of zirconia or lithium disilicate will reviewed. We will discuss material properties and how best to use them for the dental wear patient. Concentration will be on the full mouth reconstruction of these cases.
This program is a clinically orientated program reviewing over 40 years of cases and follow up documented by Dr. Hansen.
Educational Objectives:
Following this unit of instruction, the practitioner should be able to: