DentalXP

Through its online education community and live events, DentalXP provides educational content from dentists who are widely recognized as experts in their fi eld. Nearly a decade ago, Dr. Paul Mikhli attended a DentalXP symposium that he found unique in the fi eld of dentistry. Here, he explains why he has kept coming back over the years and why he recommends others do the same.

Imagine going to a music festival where all the best artists are playing, and they’re only going to play their two or three best songs. How amazing would that be for a music fan? For a dentist, that is what it’s like going to a DentalXP conference.

I first attended their annual symposium several years ago in Las Vegas, and I realized immediately how different it was. At other conferences, there would be somebody lecturing for 2 or 3 hours in the morning, and then somebody for a few hours in the afternoon. With that setup, if the content is not exactly what you’re looking for, you’ve wasted half a day. At DentalXP, the sessions were restricted to under an hour, so the lecturers would jump straight into the meat and potatoes of the subject matter. And although you’re getting a lot of content very quickly, you’re getting to hear it from the best lecturers in the world in one venue.

“You get to see what’s happening on the cutting edge of dentistry.”

The Ultimate in Networking

While you get the highlights of what you need to know from the lecturers, you can always decide you want to learn more and attend one of their longer presentations. Better yet, very often at a DentalXP conference you can meet the lecturers, because it is such a welcoming environment that feels like one big family. Unlike some of the other major conferences in dentistry, the speakers will often stay and listen to the other lecturers, and you can sit with them in the audience and pick their brains or get to know them. At one event, I exchanged phone numbers with Dr. Howard Gluckman, a dentist in South Africa, after he gave a presentation about the socket-shield technique. In this treatment, a part of the root is intentionally left behind to mitigate bone resorption and prevent the collapse of the bone and soft tissue. One day in my practice, I had a patient who had a very difficult break on a tooth, and this procedure was going to be the best course of treatment. I was able to have Dr. Gluckman walk me through it step by step, and it ended up being a beautiful result. There aren't many conferences where that kind of thing will happen.

Top Perks of DentalXP

For me, there are three reasons I continue going back to DentalXP for their annual symposiums and events throughout the year. One is the camaraderie. As dentists, we tend to work on an island—unless we’re in a group practice, we’re on our own in our offices, and it’s nice to have colleagues who are likeminded and be able to talk about your challenges and successes. Secondly, DentalXP has given me the confidence to do more surgeries and procedures that I haven’t done before, and in general, helped me become a better dentist. And, finally, you get to see what’s happening on the cutting edge of dentistry. You’re hearing from pioneers in the field from all over the world who are pushing the boundaries of what’s possible—and you can rest assured that everything they do is based on science and research.

I hope to see you at the next DentalXP symposium and welcome you to the family!