This course will describe the standards of modern endodontic treatment, which all practitioners are expected to meet. Upon completion, participants should be able to evaluate their competency as diagnosticians and clinicians and identify areas that require additional education. | Ove A. Peters, DMD, MS, PhD

Speakers: Alan H. Gluskin, D.D.S., William Thomas. Johnson, D.D.S., M.S., Bettina Basrani, D.D.S., Ph.D., M.Sc.| In 2017, the AAE Executive Board determined that there was so much poor and professionally shameful endodontics in the private sector by non-specialists that our specialty needed to stand up and publish the quality standards in endodontics that we recognize and value in patient care.

Speakers: Mark B. Desrosiers, D.M.D., Kim FitzSimmons, | If you care about more people knowing who endodontists are and more people deciding to save their natural teeth, this is a must-attend session.

Speaker: Adham A. Azim, B.D.S.;Ove A. Peters, D.M.D., M.S., Ph.D. |This presentation by two educators, both themselves at home in different educational systems, will explore what it is that makes an endodontist of the future and will discuss how the teaching of endodontics may change in the next few years to be more inclusive, rather than rigid, which will promote patients’ well being and providers’ livelihood.

Jordan L. Schweitzer, D.D.S., M.S. In the dental marketplace, there will continually be a proliferation of new file systems and obturation techniques available for purchase and use -- all gaining the attention of young practitioners who are continuing to grow and learn. So the real question is, as soon-to-be practitioners, should students be taught the “latest and greatest” or should the endodontic curriculum stay with the tried-and-true gold standards, allowing students to focus on them as stepping stones to more advanced methodologies after graduation? Recently, Texas A&M University Baylor College of Dentistry switched from a conventional rotary system to a newer file system; simultaneously, a change was made from a somewhat controversial obturation system to one which could be conceived as being relatively simple, but with minimal long-term scientific support. Was this the right approach? Also, how has the decrease in the number of routine, uncomplicated clinical cases influenced our curriculum? This presentation will discuss multiple pathways to providing a contemporary endodontic curriculum for predoctoral students, illustrating the complexities and unforeseen difficulties along the way.

Christopher Wenckus, D.D.S. Find out what the Board examiners like and don't like when they review your portfolio! This course is designed to aid Board-eligible candidates and their mentors in creating a passing case history portfolio. Too many hours go into the development of a case history portfolio to have it rejected. Examples of good portfolios, marginal portfolios and ugly (those not likely to pass) will be presented. Updates on the latest requirements of the Board, as well as information on finding tips and ideas on the web, will be presented to the participants. Complete explanation of case requirements will also be provided in detail. This course is a must for those getting ready to submit their portfolios in September.

Alan H. Gluskin, D.D.S. Priya Sharma-Chand, B.D.S., M.S.D. Competency in endodontics for undergraduate dental students is not only difficult to define, but difficult to measure. Every student learns differently, posing challenges to educators during competency assessment, necessitating effective remediation strategies for skill enhancement. The prevalence of differing approaches, and varying remedial modalities adopted across dental schools, not only spells the need for a unified standard in competency assessment, but makes it far more challenging to establish a universally applicable benchmark for the dental student who struggles and requires remediation to overcome deficit skills. There is a need for standards and guidelines that would facilitate educators in identifying the teaching modalities and evaluation techniques that can be incorporated to enhance students’ skills and performance, while making the role of remediation more effective in competency assessment. The domain of remediation needs critical ‘rethink,’ and to be brought within the framework of a clearly defined policy that governs remediation, establishes remedial programs and strategies, and is applicable to achieve the fundamental objective of enabling students to improve their skills and become professionally competent.

James D. Johnson, D.D.S., M.S. The Boardwalk presentation is given by the directors of the American Board of Endodontics. It is intended to provide valuable information regarding the certification process. The directors will be introduced to the attendees and a detailed explanation of the examination sequence will be provided. Helpful hints for preparation of the Written, Case History Portfolio and Oral Examinations will be outlined. The current timeline for progression through the certification process will be detailed along with current recertification guidelines.

Brian DesRoches, M.B.A., M.Sc., Ph.D., L.M.F.T. Precision is essential in both endodontic treatment and team communication. However, precision in communication is often hindered by the gap between the intent of one’s communication and its impact on the listener what I intended to communicate and what you heard me communicate are different. The outcome of this gap is miscommunication, misunderstanding, confusion and frustration. By blending research based in the new neuroscience with the intentional application of two practical communication skills, this presentation will demonstrate how to both close this gap when it occurs and increase your precision in communication to reduce its occurrence.

Speakers: Gustavo Avila-Ortiz, D.D.S., M.S., Ph.D., Mark A. Odom, D.D.S., Richard A. Williamson, D.D.S., M.S., F.A.C.P., Anne Williamson, D.D.S., M.S. The diagnosis and treatment of clinical case(s), requiring the expertise and treatment by an endodontist, periodontist, and prosthodontist, will be reviewed and discussed from all perspectives. Emphasis will be given to multidisciplinary treatment and the importance of early and continuous collaboration throughout treatment of the natural tooth and replacement of the natural tooth.