The Denver Mini-Residency

The Dawson Academy Core Curriculum is a post gradate mini-residency in solving even the most complex dental problems involving esthetics, occlusal problems, TMJ issues, and advanced restorative care. The principles learned can be applied to everyday dentistry or advanced dental cases.

Our mini-residency provides a customized continuing education path for dental practitioners interested in obtaining advanced knowledge and mastering skills necessary to providing complete dental care. The mini-residency provides hands-on clinical learning experiences, one-on-one instruction, and group discussion using a variety of modalities.

How the Denver Mini-Residency works

An exclusive group of dentists will study and complete the Dawson Academy Core Curriculum over a well-paced 15 month period.

This improved curriculum consists of seven core courses taken as a combination of hands-on, lecture and on-line at the renown Mountain West Dental Institute in Denver, Colorado with a final lecture and graduation completed in St. Petersburg/Clearwater Beach, Florida.

All hands-on courses will be taught by Dr. Leonard Hess, Clinical Director at The Dawson Academy.

Dr. Hess will be available throughout the 15 month period (and beyond) to support the members in implementation and clinical success.

Why mini-residencies work

The professional relationships mini-residencies build can result in a network, which extends beyond the classroom, and can significantly help students’ practice growth and fulfillment.

Request Mini-Residency Info

From payment options to course dates, a course advisor will fill you in.

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Benefits of the Mini-Residency Program

Increase practice revenue
Increase your practice revenue by tackling cases you currently are not confident enough to treat; many doctors say they recoup the cost of the training on their very first case!
Eliminate re-makes and case failures
Eliminate re-makes and case failures by adding predictability to all of your restorative procedures. From a simple composite to a full mouth reconstruction and implants, The Dawson Academy’s principles of occlusion and treatment planning will forever change how you examine your patients and deliver care.
Increase efficiency, profitability and predictability
Increase efficiency, profitability and predictability during the examination, treatment planning, case planning and lab communication process by utilizing The Dawson Academy’s treatment planning software.
Grow together
Grow together by sharing experiences about implementing the material into your practice and encouraging each other between classes. From these experiences, you’ll form strong bonds amongst yourselves, which continue post-curriculum.
Benefit from instructor continuity
Having the same instructor throughout your training increases success as a result of continuity of teaching style and the instructor’s ability to monitor each participant’s progress throughout the continuum.

Information About The Courses

Core 1: Occlusion & Smile Design - Online

From this online course, you will develop a thorough understanding of dental occlusion and the functions of the masticatory system, including how the TM joint, muscles, proprioceptive input, lower anterior teeth, upper anterior teeth, lower posterior teeth and upper posterior teeth are designed to function in harmony with one another.

Regardless of the latest trends in techniques or materials, these principles will remain the foundation of quality and complete dentistry. You will gain an insight and understanding that will change not only how you practice, but your enjoyment of the practice, as well.

Learning Objectives

A scientifically based, practical approach to occlusal management in everyday practice.
The 10 factors critical to a stable occlusion and how applying them results in long-term success of your general and cosmetic cases.
How to identify, prior to treatment, which patients pose a risk of future instability.
An examination process that gets the esthetically driven patient to care about the functional implications critical to long-term success.
How to know precisely where teeth need to go for veneers, crowns, and implant supported restorations.
When it is safe to open vertical and when not to do so.
Why porcelain chips and breaks and how to eliminate breakage from your practice.
Step by step processes utilizing checklists for functional-esthetic analysis and treatment planning.
How to efficiently take the necessary diagnostic records for comprehensive diagnosis and treatment planning.
A thorough examination process and how to implement it in your practice.
How understanding occlusion saves you time, increases profitability and reduces stress.

Core 2: Examination and Records - May 9-11, 2024

Examination and Records is one of the most important dental courses that a dentist will master on the path to complete dentistry. The cornerstone of the Dawson philosophy begins with a thorough comprehensive examination and the gathering of necessary records accurately. As Dr. Dawson says “every great treatment plan comes from a well organized Records appointment”.

The examination and accompanying records are the ﬁrst step in the process of complete dentistry. This hands-on program will cover all aspects of the exam and records process.

Learning Objectives

Acquire skills to perform a TMJ/Occlusal examination
Learn the co-diagnostic process of the examination and how to ask future focus questions
Evaluate the masticatory system for instability in the TM joints, muscles and teeth
Learn bilateral manipulation and how to obtain an accurate veriﬁable centric relation record
Master the use of a lucia jig to help obtain a centric relation bite record
Verify how to do a correct face-bow transfer and why it is critical to both the diagnostic and restorative phases of treatment
Mount casts using the face-bow transfer and CR record on a semi- adjustable articulator
Acquire the skills to use a macro digital camera to shoot a series of diagnostic photographs
Begin the implementation process to establish the process of complete dentistry

Core 3: Treatment Planning - July 18-20, 2024

This hands-on course provides a programmed approach to predictably diagnose and treatment plan both simple to extremely difficult cases. Each dentist will discover how to visualize optimum dentistry from an esthetic, functional, biological and structural perspective. You will learn to apply the four treatment options: reshaping, repositioning, restoring and surgical correction, which are a critical component of step-by-step dental treatment planning checklists.

After sharing knowledge in these areas, our instructors walk through case studies showing you the correct option(s) for each patient. Once a specific, comprehensive treatment plan is decided upon, then the critical step of sequencing the treatment for efficiency and profitability will be determined and discussed. Since you cannot practice complete dentistry without a complete plan, our students learn how to segment large treatment plans enabling patients with financial issues to receive optimum treatment over time without compromising their oral health.

The focus of this continuing dental education program is to integrate a comprehensive dental treatment planning process into your practice. Recommendations based on best practices are discussed to help assist you with organizing your busy schedule and a creating a space for optimum treatment planning. How to present your treatment plan will also be discussed as well as many other aspects of procedures and materials.

Learning Objectives:

Establish a step-by-step process for treatment planning any restorative case, from the simplest to the most complex.
Explore why 90% of mistakes occur not during the restorative phase, but rather during the treatment planning process.
Plan and visualize ideal esthetics and ideal function.
Discover the need for/value of quality records.
Master all of the critical checklists used to treatment plan every case.
Investigate how the teeth should be positioned in space for optimum esthetics, phonetics and function.
Identify specifically how to utilize the diagnostic photographs in conjunction with mounted diagnostic models to visualize an optimum course of treatment.
Work on actual study casts to apply these concepts.
Develop an ideal, efficient and profitable treatment sequence for each case.
Create a segmented treatment plan so that optimum care can be delivered over a longer period of time.
Organize your schedule and create a treatment planning process within your practice.

Core 4: Equilibration & Orthotics - September 19-21, 2024

This hands-on course will show you how to implement a process of occlusal therapy within your dental practice. Equilibration is a cornerstone for treatment of occlusal disease, and as such, any dentist who wishes to practice complete dentistry must know how to perform all aspects of it correctly. As a participant, you will discover the importance of the trial equilibration and be given the opportunity to adjust several different case types to insure your complete understanding of the material presented. This complete dentistry dental continuing education course includes lectures, videos of patient treatment, and hands-on exercises to provide you with the knowledge and confidence to return home and implement occlusal treatments in your practice on Monday morning.

Learning Objectives

Design a stable, minimal stress occlusion (lines on the front, dots on the back).
Recognize when to equilibrate your patient, and when other options should be considered.
Identify how to schedule the equilibration appointment.
Choose appropriate articulation paper to mark each type of occlusal interference.
Assess when an occlusal splint should be considered prior to reshaping, repositioning or restoring.
Evaluate how to efficiently equilibrate the natural dentition.
Select, train and work with a dental assistant to efficiently adjust an occlusal splint and/or equilibrate the dentition.
Verify when to use a full arch occlusal splint, and when to use an anterior deprogramming appliance.

Core 5: Diagnosis & Airway - Online

This online course will provide the students with the procedural knowledge to do contemporary restorative procedures at the highest level. This seminar will leave each student with a clear understanding of the four options of treatment: Reshaping, Repositioning, Restoring and Surgical alternatives.

Preliminary mouth preparation such as necessary periodontal procedures and occlusal equilibration will be covered in detail. Necessary soft tissue surgical procedures that will provide an ideal gingival backdrop will also be presented. Tooth preparation for crowns and veneers will be understood by each participant. Soft tissue management in conjunction with final impressioning techniques will be discussed in detail. Provisional restorations, bite registration techniques, laboratory communication and cementation/adhesive options will be a cornerstone of this presentation.

Learning Objectives

Recognize how to prevent breakage and failure of anterior restorations.
Acquire information to maximize function and longevity of anterior restorative dentistry.
List the goals of every finished equilibration.
Identify the expanded 4×4 process to 16 functional and esthetic requirements.
Assess how to efficiently equilibrate the natural dentition and when to use splints in the process.
Distinguish when veneers, all ceramic crowns, zirconia, or metal ceramic crowns are the right choice for your patient.
Discover the keys to efficient and correct tooth reduction for veneers and crowns.
Communicate esthetic gingival position to your Periodontist and Orthodontist.
Acquire the key components of lab communication – what to send when.
Appraise the value of equilibration in everyday restorative practice.
Identify the 10 steps to contouring provisional restorations for optimum phonetics, esthetics, and function, and why this will change your practice forever.
Plan how to create a customized anterior guidance for each of your anterior restorative cases.

Core 6: Predictable Esthetics - January 30 - Feb. 2025

This hands-on esthetics course will assist the cosmetic dentist in taking those critical steps in accomplishing anterior restorative procedures at their highest level. Restoring anterior teeth and managing dental esthetics with predictability truly represents the culmination of our understanding of how this intricate system is designed as we attempt to emulate what nature has originally created. From this course, attendees will develop the confidence in diagnosis, material selection, preparation design and the creation of key indices to insure predictability in delivering exquisite anterior restorations.

The clinician will have the opportunity to transition the knowledge gained in the “2D” treatment planning mode into a “3D” dental blue print through the use of mounted diagnostic models and the minimal wax technique. The modulation and understanding of Smile Design in an advanced level of dental treatment planning affords the ability to begin with the end in mind, creating an esthetic result that reflects a functionally sound design and insures durability.

The critical information obtained in creating this dental blue print will allow for the fabrication of reduction guides and provisional matrixes to increase your efficiency, productivity and accuracy chairside. We also provide some key concepts in the single most important step in insuring predictability in indirect restoration, creating exquisite prototypes. Special emphasis will be placed on contouring the provisional restoration, and why this is key to long-term functional and esthetic success in every case you perform. Finally, we will discuss with you in detail the cementation and adhesive options so that the proper course of action is matched with each material.

Learning Objectives

Understand the key concepts of Smile Design relative to Global, Macro and Micro criteria and their assessment related to function and phonetics
Develop the skill in creating a “Dental Blue” that will enable the production of key indices and stents that will facilitate preparation and provisonalization
Understand the fluid concepts of preparation design as it relates to functional needs, esthetics and the parameters of new materials.
Learn an effective and efficient Provisionalization technique
Understand the key elements related to the assessment of the prototypes to insure predictability in the final restorations
Learn the key elements in laboratory communication to insure a predictable result
Understanding the concepts of adhesion and the clinical protocol in the luting of final restorations

Core 7: Advanced problem Solving - may 1-3 2025

Advanced Problem Solving is the last of the Dawson Academy courses in the Core Curriculum. This dental course will provide the participant with the necessary information to solve complex dental problems. A programmed approach to treatment planning will be presented so that each student will learn how to solve the 4 functional and 12 esthetic goals when given any set of circumstances. Extreme occlusal wear, anterior open bites, deep overbites, extreme overjet and Class III malocclusions will be discussed. Neutral zone and vertical dimension will be covered in detail as it pertains to the treatment of the above problems.

Special emphasis will be placed on best restorative options, and when orthodontic/orthognathic alternatives should be considered. Each participant will learn how and when to open the vertical dimension of occlusion and when it should not be opened. A programmed approach to full mouth reconstruction, whether it is teeth, dental implants, precision attachment partials or a combination, will be a cornerstone of this program.

What other Dawson cohort attendees have said…

It was a great experience attending the Dawson continuum in a room full of classmates. Going through the program with the same people not only allowed us to build a fellowship with our colleagues, but also allowed the learning environment to grow as we could all work with each other and grow together. Also, having set classes in my schedule and a real timeline allowed us all to get the the full program at a much smoother pace.

Dr. Edward Romano

By signing up for the Dawson Cohort, I was finally able to complete the sequence in a timely manner and gain the skills and confidence to treat cases that had perplexed and intimidated me before. But a wonderful unexpected benefit was that by taking the courses with the same participants and the same instructors, an atmosphere of honesty, accountability, & support developed that was quite extraordinary. I would recommend the Dawson curriculum wholeheartedly, and I cannot imagine a better way to do it than in a cohort!

Dr. Ted Beitelschees

Information About the Instructor

Dr. Leonard A. Hess maintains a comprehensive-focused private practice in Charlotte, North Carolina. Growing up in the mid-west, Dr. Hess attended Indiana University for his undergraduate education. His Doctor of Dental Surgery degree was obtained from Northwestern University Dental School in Chicago, IL.

As Clinical director of The Dawson Academy, Dr. Hess has demonstrated a passion for learning and teaching from the very start of his career. In the past eight years, Dr. Hess has taught hundreds of hours of hands-on continuing education throughout the world. From study clubs to the AACD national meeting, Dr. Hess has helped thousands of his peers incorporate functional esthetic care into their practices.

How the Denver Mini-Residency works

Why mini-residencies work

Request Mini-Residency Info

Contact

Benefits of the Mini-Residency Program

Increase practice revenue

Eliminate re-makes and case failures

Increase efficiency, profitability and predictability

Grow together

Benefit from instructor continuity

Information About The Courses

Learning Objectives

Learning Objectives

Learning Objectives:

Learning Objectives

Learning Objectives

Learning Objectives

What other Dawson cohort attendees have said…

Information About the Instructor

Contact Dawson

Office Hours

Corporate Office

Course Locations

United States

International

About

The Denver Mini-Residency

How the Denver Mini-Residency works

Why mini-residencies work

Request Mini-Residency Info

Contact

Benefits of the Mini-Residency Program

Information About The Courses

Learning Objectives

What other Dawson cohort attendees have said…

Information About the Instructor

Contact Dawson

Office Hours

Corporate Office

Course Locations

United States

International

About

The Dawson Academy is an ADA CERP Recognized Provider.