PDA Kicks Off 20th Anniversary in Grand Style

Making sure that the 20th anniversary of the Productive Dentist Academy (PDA) will be a memorable one, the conference kicked off the first of 3 days in Frisco, Texas on Thursday with its largest crowd ever, great education, a variety of dental vendors, and a keynote speech from an NFL Hall of Fame running back and 3-time Super Bowl champion.

Bruce B. Baird, DDS, spoke to attendees to start off Thursday’s lineup, but the renowned cosmetic dentist and co-founder of PDA also took part in continuing education courses throughout the day, including an afternoon session on productive scheduling. The course focused on helping participants understanding what scheduling to productivity is and how to implement it.

Sommer Carroll, RDA, and business advisor Joanne Miles also presented during the course, and they stressed that most people do indeed want to keep their teeth, so practices and their staff should learn how to best teach their patient base the importance of their care, and how to communicate the need to stick to schedules and appointments.

The objectives included calculating hourly production goals per provider, identifying production block types, and the process of time studies to determine the length of time per procedure/provider.

When the scheduling is run smoothly, the patient experience is enhanced and the provider has less stress.

Dr Baird, Carroll, and Kari Miller have another course on Friday, Scheduling 2.0, with more emphasis on eliminating scheduling unpredictability and steps to ensure practices maintain a steady workflow.

Overjet

Dental AI company Overjet is exhibiting at PDA and Parag Kachalia, DDS, head of clinical practice for the company, expects the AI technology to only continue to enhance the way dentists treat patients as well as improve the patient’s overall experience.

Dr Kachalia, and a team of 14 dentists, work with dentists around the globe to educate them on the benefits of Overjet’s capabilities.

“There are so many more possibilities to come,” he said. “We want to look at the whole patient journey and start to solve any of the issues currently holding practices back.”

In June, Overjet launched Overjet for Educators, an AI tool designed to train future dental professionals. This FDA-cleared technology, which is already used in practice by clinicians, helps analyze x-rays to bolster decision-making in the dental practice. Overjet’s AI annotates dental x-rays with precise, colorful details, and stands as the only FDA-cleared AI technology for detecting, outlining, and quantifying oral diseases in x-rays.

Communicating Risk Factors

Wade Kifer, DDS, and Kari Miller of PDA, conducted a couple courses on Thursday focusing on the importance of effective communication to successful patient care. The focus of the courses is to help dental team members enhance their skills in communicating risk factors to patients.

When talking to patients with perio disease, Dr Kifer says it’s important to “put the blame on the disease, not the patient.” Dr Kifer and Miller each offered tips about establishing rapport and connections with patients, and to ensure patients fully comprehend their treatment needs and are committed to doing their part in terms of strong oral hygiene habits and proceeding with necessary care.”

CariFree products play a big role in helping Dr Kifer’s patients improve their oral health. Celebrating 2 decades of cavity prevention, CariFree products are safe to use every day, with non-abrasive products formulated to be highly effective and scientifically proven to prevent cavities through remineralization. The company’s cavity prevention blueprint includes antibacterial & acidity reduction, proprietary pH+ technology, fluoride for remineralization, and nano-hydroxyapatite,

CariFree, an Alliance Partner with PDA, is exhibiting at the conference this week.

A Championship Vision

Attendees were entertained by a keynote speech from Emmitt Smith, who helped the Dallas Cowboys win 3 Super Bowls in the 1990s and is the league’s all-time leading rusher with 18,355 yards after breaking the record previously held by Walter Payton.

Smith’s presentation, “Game On: A Championship Vision,” covered his illustrious football career, beginning as a youth player in Florida, a high school Gatorade All-American, a star at the University of Florida, and then a record-setting professional career.

Smith made sure to recognize all the support he received along the way, crediting coaches, teammates and family with helping his journey.

“Every yard, every step I took, I had a village of people pushing me,” he said.

Smith talked about how things like leadership, hard work and cleaning up inefficiencies were pillars in his success, and that these same attributes can make dentists successful as well.

“Everybody has a role and every role is important,” he said, again sharing lessons that apply to both teammates on the field and team members helping a dental practice thrive.

What’s Ahead?

The PDA conference resumes with a full slate of courses on Friday and an appearance by the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders.

Saturday’s events include a groundbreaking Dental Media Roundtable at 9am on the main stage, bringing together 5 influential editorial voices in the dental profession. Dr. Pamela Maragliano-Muniz of Dental Economics, Stan Goff of Dental Products Report, Anne Duffy of Dental Entrepreneur, Dr. Thomas Giacobbi of Dentaltown, and Kevin Henry of DrBicuspid.com.

PDA and AcceptCare, the first all-in-one fee and treatment presentation software for dental offices, are hosting the media roundtable, which will also include moderator Regan Robertson of PDA.