The Pankey Institute

08/03/2026

From “Plastics” to AI: A Personal Journey Toward Flourishing - By Barry F. Polansky, DMD

I had already decided to pursue a career in dentistry, and like so many young people, I was trying to imagine what my future would look like.

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Explore how a dentistry career can lead to lasting fulfillment through purpose, personal growth, and embracing AI without losing what matters most.

07/31/2026

Sleep Service Levels: Which One Is Right for You? - By Steve Carstensen, DDS, DABDSM, FAASM

Long before airway health and sleep medicine became prominent in contemporary practice, Dr. L.D. Pankey introduced a simple framework for professional fulfillment: Know Yourself, Know Your Patient, Know Your Work, and Apply Your Knowledge.

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Not sure where to start with dental sleep medicine? Explore four service levels and find the right fit for your practice, your patients, and your goals.

07/29/2026

Operational AI in Dental Practice - By Deborah E. Bush, MA

More independent dental practices are moving to cloud-native practice management platforms designed to support AI-assisted workflows.

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Explore how AI-powered dental software is transforming dental practice management through smarter scheduling, faster insurance verification, and streamlined documentation.

07/27/2026

Who Gets to Define Dental Esthetics? - By Gary M. DeWood, DDS, MS

When a human being walks into your practice, who actually gets to define what is beautiful?

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Dental esthetics start with the patient, not the clinician. Dr. DeWood shares the process that turns clients into invested, ready-to-act patients.

07/24/2026

10 Mindset Traits of Highly Successful Dental Leaders - By Robyn Reis, Dental Practice Coach

Leadership success is not about waiting for the business to get easier.

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Explore 10 mindset traits of highly successful dental leaders and learn how to build resilience, focus, and habits that drive long-term dental practice growth.

07/22/2026

QPD: A New Layer of Insight in Functional Diagnostics - Cherilyn G. Sheets, DDS and James C. Earthman, PhD

As dentistry continues to evolve, our digital tools have transformed how we plan and deliver care.

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As dentistry continues to evolve, our digital tools have transformed how we plan and deliver care.

07/21/2026

Your patient's oral health is connected to their heart, their sleep, their weight, their stress, and their entire well-being.

As a dentist, you're already on the frontlines. Integrative Dental Medicine will show you how to act like it.

Integrative Dental Medicine: Creating Healthier Patients and Practices
May 20–21, 2027 | Pankey Institute

Dr. Witt Wilkerson brings 10 years of research and clinical implementation to the foundation of his bestselling book, The Shift: The Dramatic Movement Toward Health Centered Dentistry. Alongside him, Ms. Lora Hooper brings 20+ years of clinical experience in salivary testing, advanced non-surgical periodontal therapy, and cardiovascular health. Together with guest presenter Mr. Peter Maroon, they'll guide you into the future of integrative dental medicine.

You'll leave with a new model, a new checklist, and a new business approach built around complete health.

Register here: https://hubs.li/Q04pchwL0

07/20/2026

A Transformational Relationship-Based Model: The Human Differentiator - By Gary M. DeWood, DDS, MS

The most significant challenge for the doctor who wants to practice health creation is “commoditization.”

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Learn how relationship-based dentistry and strong dentist-patient communication improve trust, case acceptance, and long-term patient care.

07/19/2026

Struggling with complex TMD and Orofacial pain cases? This course was made for you.

Join Dr. Stephen Malone and a multidisciplinary team at the Pankey Institute for TMD and Orofacial Pain: Managing Complex Patients on March 15–19, 2027.

Over 5 days, you'll build the skills to accurately diagnose and treat the full range of facial pain and TMD presentations, from tension headaches and muscle challenges to significant joint inflammation and breakdown.

You'll explore appliance therapy, pharmacology, neuromodulators, trigger point injections, radiology interpretation, and surgical options, everything you need to treat with confidence or know when to refer.

Designed for general dentists and specialists ready to go deeper.

Register now: https://hubs.li/Q04pbZ5D0

07/17/2026

The Philosophy of the Pankey Cross of Life: A Cure for Burnout - By Andrea C. Fallon, DMD

In today’s era of rapid digital workflows and rising overhead, even the most skilled dentists can become trapped in the “treadmill effect,” constantly moving without meaningful progress.

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Discover how the Pankey Cross of Life framework helps dentists overcome burnout, optimize dental practice management, and achieve true work-life balance.