Ever since I started my AEGD residency following dental school, I have loved continuing education. I’ve always sought new courses, new educators, new techniques. But for me, the most impactful educational experience was taking The Essentials courses at The Pankey Institute.

Not only did I learn about the complex temporomandibular and masticatory system, perhaps more importantly, I gained the skill and confidence I needed to tackle complex esthetic cases and truly found my sweet spot in dentistry.

Finding My Way in Dentistry

I am a bread and butter general dentist. However, my favorite cases are the ones that have the capacity to change someone’s smile, to make them not only healthier and more beautiful, but most importantly, improve their confidence. Once I gained these skills I wanted to implement them into my practice as soon as possible, but unfortunately I tripped over a few stumbling blocks before I found the right way to do that.

I remember one particular patient I had who really could have benefitted from some esthetic dentistry. I spent hours mounting the case, cropping and organizing photos, even waxing up anterior teeth on a model to show him the dramatic esthetic improvement I could make to his smile. That patient was engaged and listened to everything I had to say.

He came back for his second consult, asked questions, but at the end of the day never pursued treatment. I learned a valuable lesson in that case and numerous others. When I stopped presenting the treatment I thought patients needed and instead let them tell me what they wanted, I started closing cases.

As a part of my comprehensive exam, after the radiographs, the periodontal probings, the hard and soft tissue exam, and often clinical photography, I simply ask the patient, “Is there anything about the way your teeth look that you would like to change?”

To be continued…

We value Pankey logo items not because of the physical object itself, but because of what they represent. Our clothing, accessories, and lifestyle ‘Pankey’ gear allow us to show off our pride for what it means to be a Pankey dentist.  Of all the “swag” and logo items over the years, there is one that means more to our alumni then any other.

In this post, four alumni tell us what their Pankey cross pins mean to them.

‘Pankey Bling’ Perspectives on the Cross Pin

Dr. Michael J. Crete

“I must say, my favorite Pankey bling is my pin! I have worn it with pride since I first received it from Bill Davis, my C1 lead faculty member and the author of The Pankey Philosophy book. I have had fellow Pankey alumni who I have never met come up to me at meetings, in airports, etc. We always have an immediate bond. I have also had strangers ask me what the pin is for. It always gives me a chance to tell my professional and Pankey story.”

Dr. Christine Shigaki

“I love my Pankey Cross pin! My Pankey mentor Mike Higashi gave it to me after I took C1.”

Dr. Michelle M. Lee

“For me, the Pankey pin symbolizes my commitment to dental excellence, being part of the Pankey family, embarking on my own journey in life and practice, and creating a better life for myself and better dentistry for my patients. It makes me feel like I am part of a supportive community of givers. It’s also a practice and life philosophy that you can carry with you throughout your entire professional and personal career. Pankey has changed my life and not a day goes by that I don’t think of the Pankey Institute and how much it has impacted me!”

Dr. Richard Hunt

“I see my two favorite Pankey bling in my dresser drawer every day. Like most men, I have a variety of lapel pins that represent an emotional attachment to the professional organizations, institutions, and charitable causes that I have been associated with. While proud of every one, my Pankey cross is at the top of my list. I wear it often and am amazed at the number of conversations it engenders about the Institute and what a wonderful influence it has been on so many lives. My other favorite “bling” is a wooden round ‘TUIT’ that was a gift from my C5 instructor, Dr. David Hildebrand. It reminds me of a special person and the gift of his message at an impactful time in my life.”

What Pankey bling do you hold dear? We’d love to hear from you in the comments! 

Our team – the people that form the basis of our dental practices – often have a few key expectations about our behavior post dental CE course. While we’re away, they flit through daydreams of the turmoil soon to inhabit their lives, wondering what fresh torment will arrive in the form of a drastic change to the way things are run.

Disrupting the status quo is fine and dandy if you understand the passion behind it, but this is not the case for most dental staff. We dentists get impassioned by our new learning and rush to implement it, forgetting our team is many steps behind us in the motivation department.

3 Things Your Team Has to Deal With After You Complete Dental CE

1. Tons of New Materials to Buy

You arrive home from a weekend of intense clinical discussions where you were surrounded by advancements in materials and technology. These ‘shiny new things’ may very well improve how you practice, but in your excitement to order them you forget to explain the ‘why’ to your staff.

Your staff now has to learn a whole new set of instructions and all new inventory control. They also have to deal with the possibility that you’ll try the materials and realize you’re not really going to use them. To you, this was useful experimentation. To them, it was a hectic couple of work weeks.

2. Changing Everything but the Kitchen Sink

Beyond the materials and tech, you also imbibed a heavy dose of alternate thought processes and clinical techniques. Your staff expects a variety of potential changes: how to answer the phone, new patient scheduling, chairside assistance, and on and on. This creates a lot of stress.

3. All Bets Are Off

Sometimes, the expectation of change is taken to the extreme. A common ‘myth’ in dentistry is that of the dentist who called and fired their entire staff from a CE course. This may or may not have actually happened and is unlikely in most cases. Still, it exemplifies the upset caused by your return. From your staff’s perspective, it’s more work and adjustments for them. If they don’t understand that these change will be better for them, patients, and the office, they see it all as another load on their shoulders.

There is a way to avoid this problem. When you complete a CE course, you should set aside time to share what you learned with your team. Share your excitement so they feel it too. Many times dentists start enforcing the implementations without an explanation. This hinders their staff’s ability to successfully apply what was learned.

As always in dentistry, come up with a system that makes your communication more effective.

How do you motivate your staff to enjoy and appreciate change? We’d love to hear from you in the comments!

Dr. Amy Hunt recalls the similarities between her biological family and her Pankey family that make her proud to return to Key Biscayne every year.

Dr. Hunt’s Take on the Pankey Family

Every summer, our extended family gathers in the coastal town of Morehead City, NC for a reunion. Our “special home base” is a relatively small cabin built by relatives in the early 1950’s. It’s perched on a large oyster bed on Calico Creek where the tides rise and fall under the house. Over the years, babies have grown up, cousins have married, some relatives have died, but we all carry our favorite memories of special times shared together on the shoals of Calico Creek.

The weekend culminates with a traditional NC barbecue feast and promises to return again next year. As is true with many meaningful events, the work is shouldered by a few of the most committed organizers in the family. We have cousins Helen, Kevin, and Richard to thank for making this tradition a reality.

As I think of these reunions I am reminded of another “family reunion” that I look forward to each year … the annual meeting of the Pankey Institute. Like my biological family, we have grown up and are now growing older together. This special group includes many of the friends and mentors who have helped shape me into the mother, wife, and dentist I am today. I love to “return home” every September. I have an opportunity to reconnect and renew friendships as well as create new ones with like-minded people.

We learn, laugh, and even dance together. The veterans pass on their wisdom to the next generation while they in turn share their unique perspective and insights. Like the reunions on Calico Creek, the safety of being with family allows us to be our most genuine selves. Please mark your calendars to “come home” to Pankey this September.

What do you love about being a part of the Pankey family? Please leave your thoughts in the comments!

More than anything, Pankey is a family that grows every year to include a wide variety of dentists practicing across the world.

One thing we all have in common are many of the thoughts that ran through our head during our first Pankey course. These range from the personally insightful to the downright hilarious.

5 Thoughts Dentists Have During Pankey Essentials 1 

1. “I wish I lived on a beach island.”

As you leave Miami to cross the Rickenbacker Causeway and enter Key Biscayne, you begin to realize why Pankey is where it is. Mangroves line the sparkling blue coast and you pass a long strip of sunshine-soaked public beaches. Lush greenery rises up on both sides of the road. Soon you’re arriving at the literal paradise of a tiny island dotted with luxury resorts, mansions, and amazing Cuban food. Speaking of Cuba…

2. “I probably shouldn’t have had that third Cuban coffee this morning.”

You may have been warned about the super-strength effects of a Café Cubano, but the cups were just so small and unassuming (and let’s admit it, delicious) that you downed two to three in quick succession. Not long after, you got a jolt of razor sharp caffeine. Baptism by fire, as they say. You show up to the Essentials 1 (link) course introductions and realize you’re nodding like a maniac to everything the instructors say. Don’t worry, they love the enthusiasm.

3. “I didn’t expect to meet my best friend in dentistry.”

You’re getting to know people who aspire to practice dentistry the same way you do. It’s eye-opening to discover you aren’t alone in wanting to sharpen your skills and create a professional lifestyle that leaves you passionate rather than exhausted. You’re already forming lifelong relationships with dentists who will become genuine friends as you walk similar paths toward career fulfillment.

4. “I have a lot to learn.”

Dentists who sign up for E1 are usually hungry for growth in their professional lives. You take the CE because you want to learn about occlusion and how you can do higher-end restorative dentistry. As the lessons build, your desire to practice the way you’re being taught multiplies, but you also realize it will be a long path of dedication. You didn’t expect to learn how you could design dentistry so that you could truly love it. Pankey CE changes your perception of the care you can offer and feeds the flames for further learning.

5. “I’ve finally found my home in dental CE.”

No matter how long you’ve been in dentistry (or even right at the beginning), there comes a point where you wonder, ‘Is this as good as it gets?’ After coming to Pankey and being immersed in the inspiring philosophy, you find that the answer is, ‘No, it can always get better.’ You’ve become part of a community that yearns for more satisfaction in their careers. You’ve finally found your dental home.

What revelations did you have during your first Pankey course? It would be awesome to hear from you in the comments!