Occlusal, structural and biologic changes are caused by tooth wear and these must be clearly understood if treatment is to be successful. You can view this free course from Spear Digital Learning by Dr. Frank Spear: Changes That Occur with Wear. … Read more
Did you ever notice how a judge in a courtroom sits higher up and farther back from everyone else? That’s no accident—the judge’s bench is meant to convey a sense of his or her supremacy in this setting. It’s designed … Read more
This 44-year-old woman came into my practice yesterday with a chief complaint of non-painful throbbing at the area of her implant. Also, she didn’t like the “feel of the shape” of the existing provisional. She had the implant placed two … Read more
If a patient feels that you’re not listening to them, they will leave your practice. Recently I had a patient come in who told me she left her previous dentist because of untreated tooth pain. She had gone in two … Read more
“Cleaning” is what your patients do at home with a brush and floss. What you provide is professional care, expert evaluation and timely intervention. Read more
Odds are you’ve seen a significant amount of tooth wear in your practice. They are all out there—the lemon-suckers and the night-grinders—and they all seem to wind up in your chair. The truth is that the eruptive process continues throughout … Read more
Midline inclination isn’t only noticed by dental professionals, anybody can notice an imperfect inclination even if it’s as little as one millimeter off. With that said, in order for a smile to be esthetically pleasing, it must be perpendicular to … Read more
Tetracycline is a very common antibiotic that is used to treat a wide number of bacterial infections. While these antibiotics are used to keep patients healthy and kill disease, they can leave unattractive staining on teeth while they are still … Read more
Our experiences in reconstructive dentistry have taught us that there are many instances in which the midline is not perfectly straight or centered on the patient’s face. Without question, you either have or will treat a patient who wants esthetic … Read more
Occlusal, structural and biologic changes are caused by tooth wear and these must be clearly understood if treatment is to be successful. You can view this free course from Spear Digital Learning by Dr. Frank Spear: Changes That Occur with Wear. … Read more
Deep overbites are a common condition in patients with lingual wear of their maxillary incisors and facial wear of the mandibular incisors. The deep overbite can occur from three different etiologies. First, as the teeth wear, the maxillary anteriors may … Read more
The forces generated in occlusion are provided by muscle activity. These forces have a physiologic range that creates harmony with the joints and teeth. Understanding the relationship between elevator muscles and the lateral pterygoid will help you identify problems and treat your patients. Read more
Before I learned about TMJ and occlusion at Spear Education, managing a patient with TMJ pain was always a challenge for me. Often these patients need to be seen in the middle of an already busy schedule. They are in … Read more
Asking questions will always provide insight for the treatment of our patients. As a reminder about my previous post and the importance of “why,” a patient of mine repeatedly had problems with his crown. After several questions to determine the … Read more
The most conservative methods of restorative or cosmetic therapy that satisfy the esthetic and functional needs of the patient are always the best treatment. Proper communication between you and are patient is essential when it comes to your treatment planning. … Read more
In restorative dentistry there are certain requirements needed to fabricate restorations that will meet our needs as well as those of our patients. One of our main issues is providing laboratory technicians enough clearance/reduction to fabricate a restoration properly. Common … Read more
If you asked most of your patients if they would fix their teeth if money were no object, the vast majority would say yes. We all have patients in our practice that need our services and want to have the … Read more
One of the challenges in making an impression of multiple units is capturing them all at once. Every dentist may have a trick for it but I’ve used this one successfully for years. It’s a two-step impression but worth the … Read more
This 44-year-old woman came into my practice yesterday with a chief complaint of non-painful throbbing at the area of her implant. Also, she didn’t like the “feel of the shape” of the existing provisional. She had the implant placed two … Read more
Anterior implants are the most challenging implant to restore. Everything must be spot on for it to be considered a success. With the advent of cone beam technology, ideal placement in the bone is more assured than previous. With platelet … Read more
If a patient feels that you’re not listening to them, they will leave your practice. Recently I had a patient come in who told me she left her previous dentist because of untreated tooth pain. She had gone in two … Read more
Patients leave our practice; we don’t like it but it happens. Sometimes the reasons they leave are beyond our control. If they’re moving out of the area it’s understandable. However, what about those patients that leave for other reasons? We … Read more
“What is your fee for ____?” This is one of the toughest questions to deal with over the phone. Some people are asking because they are simply price shopping. To them, one dentist is pretty much the same as any … Read more
Case presentation is always a concern for me, whether it’s formal or casual, chairside or consultation room. I tend to have most conversations with patients chairside. Sometimes we need to gather more information and present it at another appointment. Each … Read more
A person’s smile is a work of art. Think about it, the lips function as the frame and the teeth are the picture. As with actual pieces of art, we look for striking features and overall perfection. The same goes … Read more
Did you ever notice how a judge in a courtroom sits higher up and farther back from everyone else? That’s no accident—the judge’s bench is meant to convey a sense of his or her supremacy in this setting. It’s designed … Read more
“Cleaning” is what your patients do at home with a brush and floss. What you provide is professional care, expert evaluation and timely intervention. Read more
What do you send to a new patient when they have confirmed their first appointment? Personally, I think it’s important to follow-up an initial appointment reservation with a welcome email, and this is what I think should be in it: … Read more
Welcome to Dentistry! As the class of 2012 joins the ranks of dental professionals, I want to welcome all of you to the greatest profession in the world. Dentistry holds incredible potential and your career can be whatever you envision … Read more
It’s one of the ironies of modern life that while we are more connected than ever it can be harder than ever to reach someone. A call to a home phone during the day is likely to go to voicemail; … Read more
Did you ever notice how a judge in a courtroom sits higher up and farther back from everyone else? That’s no accident—the judge’s bench is meant to convey a sense of his or her supremacy in this setting. It’s designed … Read more
“Cleaning” is what your patients do at home with a brush and floss. What you provide is professional care, expert evaluation and timely intervention. Read more
What do you send to a new patient when they have confirmed their first appointment? Personally, I think it’s important to follow-up an initial appointment reservation with a welcome email, and this is what I think should be in it: … Read more
It’s one of the ironies of modern life that while we are more connected than ever it can be harder than ever to reach someone. A call to a home phone during the day is likely to go to voicemail; … Read more
This striking image tells an incredible true story about the reality of life on earth. We all know that the greatest portion of the earth’s surface—about two-thirds—is covered with water. And that seems like an astonishing abundance, until you see … Read more
Welcome to Dentistry! As the class of 2012 joins the ranks of dental professionals, I want to welcome all of you to the greatest profession in the world. Dentistry holds incredible potential and your career can be whatever you envision … Read more
This week at the Spear campus I am reminded that dental health professionals of all ages and experience levels from all around the world are seeking the same things. Read more
One of the great things about being alive in this time and in this part of the world is that everyone has the opportunity to have an extraordinary life. Not extraordinary on a grand public scale, necessarily, but a life … Read more
While consulting on thousands of cases during my time as the director of education at Americus Dental Lab in Clearwater, FL, I’ve had many conversations with colleagues about their cases. Most of these were positive and constructive and some, well, … Read more
Every day of your life is a gift. We’ve heard that many times, and many of us try to live by that philosophy of gratitude and abundance. But to get the full measure of what that means, we also have … Read more
Remember that blog post from my partner, Dr. Glen Wysel, about his trip with his wife, Lisa, to Guatemala to visit the site of the clinic we’re helping to build there? Many of you were quite moved by his recounting … Read more
December is behind us; the time of year where our senses are inundated with the sounds, the smells, the language and customs of the holidays. And as the decorations come down and the parties end, the meaning of the season … Read more
Someone sent me the link to this video clip awhile back and I haven’t been able to get it out of my mind since.
I find it pretty hard to watch that without getting a little choked up, and going by the responses of the judges and the audience, I’m not alone. Read more
How is it that people enjoying the greatest standard of living in history can be surrounded by unprecedented abundance and still feel that something is missing from their lives? I don’t really think it’s a human failing, but it is … Read more
In a recent post, I said that one of the tricks for getting free from the “hooks” that hold you back is to hire people to do your worrying for you. Find the right people who have the right passion, … Read more
Judging from the buzz on Facebook, this blog post entitled 10 Reasons Your Dentist Probably Hates You Too, has really struck a chord with a lot of dentists. It’s written by a (now former) dentist who decided to leave the … Read more
What a delight it was yesterday to log on to Facebook and find page after page of lovely birthday wishes from friends far and near. The outpouring of kind thoughts was staggering, and reminded me again of the power of … Read more
Yep. Our worst fear has come true. It was already time consuming enough to update Facebook and Twitter accounts and now another player is on the block! With this week’s rollout of Google+ Pages, we find ourselves with another formidable … Read more
Yes, dentists can use Facebook for more than just connecting with friends, family or patients. In fact, you can use Facebook to connect with 750 million potential customers (new patients)! I know what you are thinking, dentists don’t need access … Read more
If you are paying for a Yellow Pages ad but you are not talking with patients about Facebook, please tell me: Why are you buying a little paper space to talk to who-knows-who and ignoring the free unlimited opportunity in … Read more
I just returned from the CDS Midwinter meeting. As always, it was a great experience to see old friends and make new ones. We have a great profession filled with many like-minded dentists, assistants, hygienists, technicians and staff who converge … Read more
We are pleased to announce Markus Blatz, DMD, PhD as a confirmed speaker at the 2012 Faculty Club Summit. Dr. Blatz is professor of restorative dentistry and chairman of the Department of Preventive and Restorative Sciences at University of Pennsylvania … Read more
This past week I was sitting in on the Facially Generated Treatment Planning workshop and Frank Spear was talking about possibilities. Possibilities as they relate to eliminating our filters when we treatment plan a patient. The ultimate objective is to … Read more
After I spoke on social media at our Faculty Club event this June, I had many requests to begin contributing to the Spear Education blog. The time has finally come that I deliver on the request. Welcome to my first … Read more
In the last eight years I have lived in four different states, owned four different homes and held four different distinct positions within dentistry. The single biggest life lesson out of this journey is that the learning never ends. Learning … Read more
OK, this might look like an informercial, well, actually it is! I think every dentist in the U.S. should be in a Spear Study Club. Why? Because I know that most of us need support to move forward. We need … Read more
One of my last blogs talked about my consternation around seeing myself differently when Lee Brady and I looked at my photographs. Lee and I did her case about four or five years ago and now the tables are reversed. … Read more
This is a case that could occupy us for days if we chose to enter into discussion and debate. I look at this case and see every discipline in dentistry involved. And I am certain that if I attempt to … Read more
I met this person quite recently here in Scottsdale – what a beautiful smile! Those “laterals” are canines moved into the lateral position due to congenitally missing teeth and subsequently veneered to create this result. The maxillary first premolars are … Read more
From the Mediterranean, Frank and the Athens Spear Study Club prove beyond a shadow of a doubt, that learning can be fun! If you cannot see this video, please visit speareducation.com/blog.
The Spear curriculum is an integrated system of learning that exists in seminars, hands-on-workshops, Study Clubs and Digital Learning.
Spear Seminars
Elevate Your Learning. 2.5-day sessions combine the latest theory with live presentations so you can successfully apply each technique in your practice.
Peer Led, Spear Engineered. Small group learning fosters interdisciplinary relationships for better treatment planning, patient care and practice growth.