Education's Highest Level: Accessible to All
With online and hands-on courses, videos, articles, and live events from dentistry’s leading educators, DentalXP has taken postgraduate dental education to a new level
From the very beginning, there was something different about DentalXP. Continuing education for dental professionals had always been about attending a lecture, course, or webinar. Sometimes you'd pick up a new skill or technique; other times, the only takeaway was a credit or two. But about 15 years ago, a small group of highly trained dentists decided that postgraduate education should not only be taught at a higher level, but also be more accessible and, well, fun.
So, they created DentalXP, an online dental education forum whose value was immediately apparent to clinicians like Dr. Hamid Ryan Kazemi, an oral surgeon in Bethesda, MD. “No. 1, it was being run by people who were truly gifted. They were some of the cream of the crop,” said Dr. Kazemi, adding that another great attribute was its inclusiveness.
“They wanted a platform that was open to everyone to share freely, without the usual red tape or people dictating, ‘This is what you do and this is what I do,’ or ‘What’s your specialty? You shouldn’t be doing this, you shouldn’t be doing that.’ It was more like, we’re all here to learn. We’re not going to judge each other. If you want to learn and be better at what you do, you are welcome,” Dr. Kazemi said.
A New Level of Education
In the ensuing years, that culture of openness and support in the pursuit of top-notch continuing education would thrust DentalXP to the forefront of dental learning on a global scale, with live events in high demand and an online hub receiving visitors from over 140 countries. The platform serves as a one-stop shop for online content and CE, hands-on training for clinical protocols and products, and world-class symposiums with leading clinicians and educators.
Dr. Kazemi, who would become a lecturer and content provider for DentalXP, said the platform can be of value to the entire dental team. However, the greatest impact is realized by those who use DentalXP as a continuum of learning and networking. “It’s not an overnight thing. You can attend one event and learn a pearl or two, but in terms of understanding the depth of a certain approach, whether it’s implants or bone grafting, esthetics, or digital dentistry, it just takes time. It builds upon itself—that continued collaboration and that exposure to different hands-on courses and lectures over time. That’s where it starts to be very impactful on somebody’s practice.”
“It’s a climate for people to become friends, to become collaborators, to learn, and to laugh— without the traditional lines of separation.”
- Hamid Ryan Kazemi, DMD
Networking and Camaraderie
Like so many things in life, it’s important to have fun along the way. Dr. Kazemi said the casual atmosphere and networking opportunities at DentalXP events stand apart from the stuffiness of some of the more well-known conferences in dentistry. “DentalXP was the first to say, ‘OK, we’re going to have some fun,’” Dr. Kazemi said. “It’s a climate for people to become friends, to become collaborators, to learn, and to laugh—without the traditional lines of separation.”
