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SPEAKERS CORNER

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Dr. Parag R. Kachalia is the former vice chair of simulation, technology, and research, at the University of the Pacific. He is a fellow of the International College of Dentists and the American College of Dentists. Dr. Kachalia is also a member of the Omicron Kappa Upsilon Honor Society. In addition, he is a researcher, as well as a published author in the areas of dental technology, digital diagnostics, contemporary fixed prosthodontics, and financial management.

In 2017 Dr. Kachalia was selected as one of the Top 10 Young Educators in Dentistry in the United States.  He has lectured internationally in the areas of adhesive dentistry, cosmetic dentistry, photography, CAD/CAM technology,

fixed prosthodontics, treatment planning, erosion, digital diagnostics, and generational marketing. Dr. Kachalia acts a consultant for many dental materials/dental technology companies and helps guide product development.  Dr. Kachalia is also a member of the Seattle Study Club Speakers Bureau and serves as a clinical evaluator for Kinra Dental Value Brands where he and five other evaluators streamline the buying process for dental professionals by reviewing and presenting products with high value.  As a forward thinker, Dr. Kachalia is frequently interviewed regarding his vision of dentistry’s future.  He believes his continual involvement in providing patient care as well as a role in academia has given him a unique balance that allows him to blend the best of both worlds.

In his spare time, Dr. Kachalia enjoys traveling with his wife and his son. As a family, they make it a point to travel to at least one country outside North America every year, so that they can experience different cultures and truly understand the world. In addition to traveling, Dr. Kachalia enjoys golf and photography.

Courses Offered

COURSE

Tech Check - An Overview of New Technology and Materials Changing Dentistry

This course will provide an overview of the recent advances in dental technology and dental materials with respect to a restorative-based practice. You will be exposed to new trends in CAD/CAM systems, digital caries detection, intraoral imaging, digital radiography, iPad integration, LED curing technology, and laser dentistry. The course will also look at recent advances in-bulk fill composites as well as new age ceramics and their proper cementation protocols.

The course will alternate between “plug in” technologies and advanced materials throughout the day, so that practitioners and office personal can understand how to implement and leverage these breakthroughs. No need to spend $100,000+ to be considered a technologically advanced practice. (Prevention, Direct, Indirect)

At the conclusion of this course

  • Understand the current advantages and disadvantages with respect to CAD/CAM dentistry.

  • Understand the advantages of implementing and enhanced imaging protocol in the office utilizing traditional and fluorescence imaging.

  • Gain an overview of the best practices of treating patients with today’s restorative materials, including new adhesives,resins, ceramics, and cements.

COURSE

Demystifying Enamel Wear: Diagnosing Wear Caused by Force vs. Wear Caused by Acids

More and more patients of all ages walk into our practices on a daily basis with tremendous amounts of wear on their teeth. In the past much of this wear was blamed on bruxism; however parafunctional wear is most likely only one of the many factors that are leading to this breakdown. Much of the wear that we see may be a result of either intrinsic or extrinsic acid. This course will teach you how to recognize the signs of gastric esophageal reflux, bulimia, tooth paste, acidic beverages (energy drinks and soda), acidic foods, and bruxism. During the course you will gain the foundational skills to recognize, prevent, and treat patients who are experiencing enamel and dentinal wear caused by erosion and/or bruxism. (Prevention, Direct, Indirect)

At the conclusion of the course participants will:

  • Be able to identify the cause(s) of tooth wear

  • Have gained an understanding of preventive strategies

  • Understand restorative strategies in a non-favorable oral environment

COURSE

Stop Watching and Start Managing: Managing and Treating Disease Conservatively vs. Watching It

This course provides strategies on implementing a caries management protocol in your practice. The course will look at digital diagnostic technologies, advances in chemotherapeutic agents as well as restorative materials and techniques that allow your patient’s health to be protected while being profitable for the practice. During this course the participants will learn how to implement caries risk assessment and tailor treatments to a patient’s specific risk factors. Furthermore detailed information will be presented on minimal preparation technique as well as application of appropriate restorative materials. (Prevention, Direct)

At the conclusion of the course participants will:

  • Have learned how to implement caries risk assessment

  • Know how to manage and prevent carious lesions

  • Have gained an overview of the current marketplace of caries diagnostics

  • Be introduced to minimally invasive preparation strategies

  • Understand the new world of restorative materials

COURSE

Digital Dentistry - Are We There Yet?: Current Trends in CAD/CAM Dentistry

The world of dentistry is evolving at an unprecedented rate. Practitioners are being bombarded with advertisements claiming that digital dentistry is here and that the analog methodologies we are accustomed to are fading away. The course will take a critical look at the current world of dental technologies as it relates to the restorative arena with close attention to the current marketplace of digital impressioning units and chair side restorative milling systems. While examining the in-office CAD/CAM technologies you will also get an overview of lab-based technologies that allow dentists to offer new materials without a large investment. This course will allow practitioners to understand the future of digital dentistry and realize their own interests. (Indirect)

At the conclusion of the course participants will:

  • Understand the evolution of CAD/CAM dentistry over the last 5 years

  • Understand the pros and cons of the major in-office CAD/CAM technologies in the marketplace

  • Understand the financial impact of investing in CAD/CAM technology

  • Be given strategies to manage incorporation of these new technologies into clinical practice

COURSE

Evidence Based Restorative Materials Update: Separating Fact from Fiction

This program will look at a broad spectrum of restorative materials available today. Over the course of the last 5 years there has been an explosion in the number of restorative materials that are available to the practitioner. Years ago the practitioner was simply asked to pick between amalgam, ceramo-metal restorations and gold. Today’s practitioner must consider the various generations of bonding agents, composites, ceramics, cements, etc. The course will allow the practitioner to sift through the confusing maze of materials and decide which materials are most appropriate for a multitude or restorative situations. Specific materials that will be covered include, self-etch adhesives, low shrinkage bulk fill resins, advancements in flowable composites, and new generation of resin and resin modified glass ionomer cements. (Direct and Indirect)

At the conclusion of the course participants will:

  • Understand the clinical rational of various adhesives systems

  • Be able to separate fact from fiction with relation to bulk fill resins

  • Understand the expand the indications of new age flowable composites

  • Be given a clinical rational for material selection with respect to indirect restorations

  • Understand proper cementation selection with regards the type of restorative material chosen as well as the individual patient’s intraoral environment

COURSE

Predictable Ceramics: This Course Will Take a Detailed Look at Ceramic Dentistry Today

The world of metal-ceramic dentistry has had a good track record; however new ceramic materials in the marketplace may ultimately serve as a predictable alternative for these restorations. The course will look at specific materials, proper preparation design, and a decision tree as to when all ceramic material should be considered. This course can be presented in either a lecture only format or in combination with a hands-on workshop. (Indirect)

At the conclusion of the course participants will:

  • Gain an understanding of the advances in ceramic dentistry over the last five years

  • Understand preparation design as it relates to new ceramics in the marketplace

  • Understand the pros and cons of various ceramic systems as it relates to clinical decision making

  • Be knowledgeable in proper cementation technique specific to each ceramic system

COURSE

Ten Things That Will Help My General Practice, Without Breaking the Bank: Overview of New Technologies with a Clear ROI

This is a lecture only course that will look at current advances that will aid the average general practice. The focus of this presentation will concentrate on technologies and materials that will improve efficiency, delivery of care, patient experience, and/or practice management. Furthermore the bulk of the program will look at advances that require an investment of $5,000 or less, yet generate a measurable return on investment. (Technology)

At the conclusion of the course participants will:

  • Identify key technological advances that will aid your practice on Monday morning

  • Learn strategies to immediately implement the use of newly purchased technology

  • Learn strategies to use technology as a distinguishing factor from the practice down the street

  • Gain an understanding of how technology investment can lead to a decrease in overall staff costs

COURSE

Crown and Bridge GPS: Navigating the Maze of Indirect Dentistry Today

The world of indirect dentistry was relatively easy to understand for many years when choices were limited to gold and porcelain fused to metal restorations; however things have most definitely changed. The world of dentistry today offers numerous choices in terms of various ceramics, cements, and technologies and the practitioner is left wondering which path he or she should go down. This course will help the practitioner navigate this maze and understand the advancement in each aspect of crown and bridge restorations, so that predictable results are achieved. Furthermore the course will specifically look at technologies and materials that are available today that allow predictable impressions to be achieved both in the traditional impression world and digital world. (Indirect)

At the conclusion of the course participants will:

  • Understand the advancements in ceramic materials - where, when, and how

  • Gain a thorough understanding of how to obtain predictable impression

  • Be exposed to new technologies and materials in the impressioning arena

  • Be presented with an overview of CAD/CAM dentistry with respect to traditional restorations as well as implant restorations

  • Understand the evidenced based protocols surrounding cementation with respect to traditional and implant restorations

COURSE

The New Age of Restorative Dentistry

While full mouth reconstruction and smile design cases are enjoyable to do both from an intellectual and financial standpoint, these cases do not walk into most of our offices on a daily basis. On the other hand preventative care, routine adhesive dentistry, and basic crown and bridge serve as the backbone of most general practices. This course will take you on a journey through the various advances in restorative dentistry. New generation products and techniques will specifically be discussed in the areas of preventative and minimally invasive dentistry, direct composite resins, new age ceramics, and prosthetic cements. The primary goal of the presenter will be to present predictable concepts that the participants can incorporate into their practices Monday morning leading to efficient, profitable, and improved patient care. (Direct and Indirect)

At the conclusion of the course participants will:

  • Understand the new world of caries detection and remineralization

  • Be introduced to new age flowable composites and their usefulness in minimally invasive dentistry

  • Understand the best practices with respect to various adhesive systems

  • Learn how to place tooth colored restorations in an efficient manner

  • Gain an understanding of today’s ceramics and the best practices with respect to cementation of these ceramics

COURSE

Imaging 2.0

The old cliché of “a picture is worth a thousand words” is probably more true today in the health care marketplace then it ever has been in the past. The technologically advanced world we live in today has brought digital images to every aspect of our life and patients want to see their issues versus simply being told what treatment is needed. Thankfully advances have occurred in the digital imaging marketplace that allow dental offices to achieve excellent digital radiographs as well intraoral images in an easy to integrate seamless workflow. This course will also look at advances in digital impressioning and computer simulation and how these technologies can be integrated into a thorough patient treatment presentation. Through this course participants will see the benefits of imaging from a diagnostic standpoint as well as an educational standpoint and how imaging can be leveraged so that patient's take ownership of their health. (Technology)

At the conclusion of the course participants will:

  • Gain an overview of the digital radiographic marketplace.

  • Understand the simplicity of intraoral camera usage and obtaining high quality images.

  • Be given strategies to involve the entire dental team in co-diagnosing

  • Be exposed to technologies that allow of an enhanced imaging protocol

  • Learn how to use imaging and mobile technology to enhance the patient experience

COURSE

Predictable Esthetic Dentistry Utilizing New Materials and Technology

This course will focus on properly planning esthetic cases and leveraging technology including digital scanners, printers, photography, and laboratory relationships in order to have predictability. Furthermore the course will look at a multitude of new indirect materials and provide the participants with a evidence based approaches for their usage and proper cementation.

At the conclusion of the course participants will:

  • Gain a thorough understanding of the digital smile design process

  • Understand the options that are available today with respect to indirect esthetic restorative materials..

  • Gain a proper understanding of cementation and adhesive techniques with today’s materials

COURSE

Tips and Tricks to Elevate Everyday Restorative Dentistry

This course will take a look at the restorative procedures we do most often in practice including direct restorations and single units crowns and provide clinical tips and tricks to allow for everyday dentistry to seamlessly blend with the patient’s dentition. Throughout the presentation relatively low cost techniques and materials will be presented to allow for an efficient placement of restorations. Furthermore the course will focus on conservative esthetic options that allow patients to elevate their smiles without taking away excessive natural tooth structure.

At the conclusion of the course participants will:

  • Gain a thorough understanding of the digital smile design process

  • Understand the options that are available today with respect to indirect esthetic restorative materials

  • Gain a proper understanding of cementation and adhesive techniques with today’s materials

COURSE

Tips, Tricks, And Technology to Allow Restorative Success

This course will focus on elevating everyday restorative dentistry, so that our patients receive a high level of care in a predictable and efficient manner. The course will educate the participant on leveraging new diagnostic technologies to educate the patient and utilize new age materials to deliver seamless restorations. An emphasis will be placed on the efficient placement of multiple posterior composites as well as conservative smile enhancement utilizing direct resin. Participants will also be exposed to strategies that garner patient buy in for smile enhancement.

At the conclusion of the course participants will:

  • Understand new age diagnostic technologies

  • Be exposed to smile enhancement strategies

  • Be exposed to efficient placement of posterior composites, utilizing innovative matrixing, techniques

  • Understand how to efficiently and conservatively restore an anterior diastema

  • Understand how to efficiently and conservatively restore fractured anterior teeth

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