“The IAO is one of the leading orthodontic organizations worldwide. Deploying a blend of professionalism, passion, and compassion, the IAO strives to lead general dentists through the pathway of this dental specialty, particularly those that do not have access to conventional training through residency programs. In addition, the numerous resources of the IAO, which include course work, casework, annual meetings, and its prestigious journal, not to mention its talented, growing and diverse membership, advance the standing of the IAO in the eyes of its peers. With a firm dedication to patient care, the IAO is able to leverage its vast networking within the profession, including dental and orthodontic technicians, laboratories and manufacturing companies, dental and orthodontic assistants, medical and dental academies, universities, hospitals, and other institutions to be positioned for further success in the 21st century.”
~Dr. Dave Singh
I suggest to every dentist practicing orthodontics to go through the program. Some may think it will increase their patient load, give them more credibility or put them in a special category, and you may be right.
Even if all the above may be true, it is not the right reason to do it. The incentive that should push you forward is to become a better doctor and clinician to give your patients high quality treatment.
The IAO Professional Advancement Program is the best learning experience you can get in the field of orthodontics. First of all, you are doing it for yourself by learning and making time to look back at your cases and learning from them. Re-evaluation is the only way to improve and learn from the past treatments you have done.
y advice is for you to get involved and live the best experience of your career. ~Dr. Michel Champagne
“The IAO Professional Advancement Course was an excellent course to take, especially if the General Dentist has been practicing orthodontics for at least 5 years. The course includes a refresher in orthodontic landmarks, tracing, diagnosis, and case by case treatment. Other topics covered were the instrumentation of Caseworx, Cephworx, and lots of time to get comfortable with these programs. Further lectures with treatment planning, sleep, and breathing disorders, and how these affect the orthodontic diagnosis and treatment planning. The final lectures dealt with wire bending needed for final aesthetics and detailing, which every dentist needs to finish a case properly. We had an opportunity to load our own case on PowerPoint and present it to the group. A fabulous way to enhance our orthodontic skills. I will never look at a case the same way again with this new knowledge. The wire bending detailing skills we ok learned were invaluable, and my cases are now finished better than I could have imagined.” ~Dr. Daniel Gibbs
“Not only has the IAO given me the opportunity to network with other orthodontic professionals, but I know that any IAO sponsored course is going to give me the educational experience which I desire. Most IAO courses are taught by highly trained professionals who have gone through an Instructor Institute program, learning optimal presentation techniques, which, in turn, promotes more ideal learning. I have made lifelong friends through the IAO, and their continuing education courses are a huge reason for my success in orthodontics.” ~Dr. Mark D. Paschen
“The IAO is the go-to place for any dentist serious about providing orthodontic treatment. Excellent learning resources and opportunities are easy to find. The IAO is always there to support its members, and the networking opportunities are amazing. Talking about amazing, the annual meetings are the best!” ~Dr. Vernon Kruger
“The IAO has been a motivating force in my professional life. Performing Orthodontics while understanding Occlusion & TMD is one focus of my practice. Pediatric dentistry & Myofunctional therapy, as well as Crown and Bridge and Cosmetic Dentistry, are other major areas of concentration. By mastering orthodontics in their personal treatment regimen, the dental practitioner is elevated in their ability to adequately address the root causes of the patient’s dental needs. As a general or pediatric dentist, adding Orthodontics while understanding Occlusion & TMD most rational approach to providing patients with comprehensive care.”
~Dr. Michael Sefranek
“Providing dentistry to the patient in my earlier career, I always fell something is missing. The patient complained about the bite is off, the bridge is too high, and the denture not right even though I checked all the details, and everything is correct. I don’t understand why those teeth are so crooked. My professional life starts to change after I learned from many of IAO’s great, like Dr. Skip Truitt, Dr. Stack, Dr. Simms, Dr. Hughes, Dr. Gelb, Dr. Wizig, and many others. IAO has been a challenge for me to excel in learning orthodontic. Understand the occlusion, muscles, TMD, and OSA rounded up my ability to provide much better care for my patients. Dentistry is no longer just drill and fill, but help improve the total well being of the patients. IAO professional Advancement Course is the best to help me to do just that”. ~Dr. Kenneth Lau