Thurs., Nov. 6, 2025
Time: AM & PM/ Lectures
Room: TBD
Speaker: Shannon Pace Brinker, CDA

Recommended for: Dental Assistants

This course is designed for dental assistants looking to elevate their clinical skills in a modern practice setting. From mastering digital workflows to developing esthetic provisional restorations and whitening techniques, this program provides comprehensive training in both core and emerging aspects of chairside assisting. Participants will gain enhanced confidence, efficiency, and clinical value through lecture and demonstration.

Learning Objectives:

Upon completion of this course, participants will be able to:

• Properly capture digital photography for documentation, esthetic planning, and patient education.
• Apply advanced chairside assisting techniques for esthetic and restorative procedures.
• Implement multiple isolation systems including OptraGate, Isolite, and traditional rubber dam placement.
• Evaluate and integrate new dental materials and products into clinical workflow.
• Organize and streamline operatory supply management for optimal efficiency.
• Apply infection control protocols with a focus on OSHA and CDC compliance for dental assistants.
• Fabricate and polish esthetic provisional restorations for anterior and posterior teeth.
• Take accurate impressions using both traditional and digital techniques.
• Perform a complete digital scan using intraoral scanning systems (e.g., iTero or equivalent).
• Understand the basics of 3D printing in a dental practice and its applications for assistants.
• Evaluate patients for whitening, select appropriate treatment modalities, and perform whitening procedures.

Shannon Pace Brinker, CDA, is a national and international speaker and published author. She has been a full-time practicing dental assistant for more than 25 years and works for Dr. Robert Korman in Virginia Beach, VA.

She is an active member of the AACD, was the first auxiliary to sit on the AACD Board of Directors and was awarded the AACD Rising Star Award. Shannon was selected one of Dentistry Today’s Top 100 Clinicians. She was also selected as Dental Products Report’s 25 most influential women in dentistry and Dr. Bicuspid’s dental assisting educator of the year.

She has written more than 300 articles about clinical applications and has a current column in Dental Product Reports for team evaluations of dental products and materials. She has her own publication for dental assistants in partnership with Schein Dental called Side by Side. She has started one of the first online platforms designated for dental assistants called the Academy of Chairside Assisting.

The University at Buffalo School of Dental Medicine, Office of Alumni Relations and Professional Engagement designates this activity for 6 continuing education credits.