The State of Dental CE

T H E S TAT E O F

D E N TA L CE

By Ben Rojek

Spear Education provides dental continuing education for striving dentists that are dedicated to the pursuit of clinical excellence in dentistry

CONTENTS 4 Introduction

4

6 Respondent Overview

12 Financial Investment and Motivation

6 12

22 Modality

22

T H E S TAT E O F D E N TA L C E

46 The CE Experience

46

“A true silver lining of the COVID-19 pandemic has been the ability of clinicians to stay up to date with continuing education utilizing the online alternative.”

52

RICARDO MITRANI, D.D.S., M.S.D.

Provider Considerations

52

3

Introduction

by Dr. Frank Spear

As someone who started dental school 46 years ago, I have observed significant changes in how dental continuing education has changed.

As someone who started dental school 46 years ago, I have observed significant changes in how dental continuing education has changed. Back in the mid-1970s,most dental schools had departments of continuing education and would bring speakers in regularly for what was typically a one-day lecture format on a number of different topics. That model continued for decades, but the pandemic has radically changed that, as many dental schools have completely shut down their continuing education departments.

The other common model to get dental continuing education back in the 1970s was to be part of a study club in your local community. Some clubs were very technique focused, such as a gold foil or gold inlay study club, while others had a focus on a broader range of topics and may have included some hands-on components as well as lectures. To this day I believe the study club model is still one of the best methods there is to gain information and be around like-minded dentists in your community.

I started mentoring my first study club in 1983, and by 1987 I was mentoring 13 different clubs monthly. Now we have our Spear Study Club model which we are very proud of, and I believe has had a very positive impact on our leaders and members. In late 2020 we even expanded and started doing live virtual study club sessions with our resident faculty. Those sessions have been very well received.

The biggest change in the last 40 plus years in how continuing education is consumed has been the internet and the ability to get education online, either via recorded content or live via platforms like Zoom. In addition, those 40 years have seen private educational institutions develop, such as Spear Education, where dentists can go for hands-on workshops to learn new techniques or refine existing skills as well as expand their understanding of treatment planning. Because of the nature of our business, it is very important we understand what dentists want in terms of their continuing education as well as how they prefer to learn: hands-on, online, or larger in-person lecture formats such as seminars.

T H E S TAT E O F D E N TA L C E

With that as the motivation, our team

The most interesting finding was

in-person continuing education but

set out to do surveys that covered all

identifying why they attended

were also the most comfortable with

the different specialties in dentistry, as

continuing education courses. By

online education. Those out more than

well as general practitioners, and break

far for all experience levels and

15 years attended the most in-person

the clinicians down by the number of

including specialty and general

continuing education. Along with the

years they had been in practice: less

practices, learning new techniques

actual survey results, different members

than five years, five to 15 years, and

was easily the number one reason

of our faculty are writing more detailed

over 15 years. Within each group, the

for getting continuing education.

thoughts about each section. I hope

topics and styles of education they

The other interesting finding was the

you enjoy viewing the results as much

desired to learn about the most were

breakdown on how they wanted to

as I have. There is no doubt that the

identified, as well as the topics in which

learn: online live, such as a webinar

information will help us as we develop

they were least interested. The top

or virtual seminar; online recorded;

and refine our content for the future.

three for almost all experience levels

in-person lecture; or in-person

turned out to be esthetics, airway, and

hands-on. As expected, the group out

treatment planning.

less than five years attended the least

ICON KEY Who

All respondents

Specialists

General Practitioners

5

Respondent Overview this survey is informal and not scientific in nature

Over a three-week period, we reached out to dental professionals via email and social media, as well as on our website, and asked them to take this survey. The information you’re about to read is the result.

Thank you to everyone who participated in this survey. Your responses and insights will not only help your peers understand the current state of dental continuing education, but it will also help CE providers like Spear better meet your needs.

T H E S TAT E O F D E N TA L C E

EXPERIENCE LEVEL

ALL RESPONDENTS 15% of respondents had less than 5 years 28% of respondents had between 5-15 years 57% of respondents had more than 15 years

SPECIALITY TRAINING ALL RESPONDENTS 18 16

Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon

14

Other

12

Prosthodontist

8 6 4 2 0

Orthodontist Periodontist Endodontist Pediatric

7

Locations of Respondents

U N I T E D S TAT E S

WA MT

VT ME

ND MN

OR ID NV CA

WY

SD

WI IA

NE UT

CO

KS

NM

AZ

IL

OK TX

MO

NY

MI IN

PA

OH

KY

WV VA NC

TN AR LA

SC MS

AL

AK

GA

FL HI

ALL RESPONDENTS 40% 1-5

4% 16-20

24% 6-10

2% Over 20

12% 11-15

No data

NH MA RI CT NJ DE MD DC

T H E S TAT E O F D E N TA L C E

1

4

3 6

5

2

NORTH AND SOUTH AMERICA 1

Canada: 22 Respondents

3

Guatemala: 1 Respondent

2

French Polynesia: 1 Respondent

4 Mexico: 2 Respondents

5

Trinidad and Tobago: 2 Respondents

6

Venezuela: 2 Respondents

9

LOCAT I O N S O F R E S P O NDE NTS

17

6

13

12

20

5 16

3 9

10

8

2 7

18

4 14

19

15

21

11

T H E S TAT E O F D E N TA L C E

EUROPE AND ASIA 1

2

3

1

Australia: 2 Respondents

2

Bulgaria: 1 Respondent

3

China: 2 Respondents

4

Egypt: 1 Respondent

5

France: 1 Respondent

6

Germany: 2 Respondents

7

Greece: 1 Respondent

8

India: 3 Respondents

9

Iran: 1 Respondent

>3

10 Italy: 1 Respondent 11 Phillipines: 1 Respondent 12 Poland: 1 Respondent 13 Romania: 3 Respondents 14 Saudi Arabia: 1 Respondent 15 South Africa: 2 Respondents 16 Spain: 1 Respondent 17 Switzerland: 1 Respondent 18 Taiwan: 1 Respondent 19 Uganda: 1 Respondent 1

20 Ukraine: 2 Respondents 21 United Arab Emirates: 1 Respondent

11

Financial Investment and Motivation an introduction by Dr. Gary DeWood

When I saw the numbers from “Investment” section of the survey, they suggested to me that overall CE spending for all surveyed groups went down pre-2020 to post-2020 with a 14% reduction in those investing $5,000 or more annually.

That observation seemed to play out at Spear regarding campus workshop attendance. People seem to have replaced in-person education with reliance on digital content. The groups surveyed exhibit some interesting variations.

Regarding the “Motivation” section, dentists’ motivation to take CE is always driven by requirements. As a group, we are very good at meeting requirements. Acknowledging that about our respondents, it was very clear in this data that “Learning new clinical skills” is far and away the primary driver of CE activity in every group of respondents. The fact that “Meet CE requirements” was second in all groups speaks to the first part of my observations.

CE events that provide for clinical learning and can be part of meeting a CE requirement are and will continue to be the reasons dentists come to Spear and all the other sources of dental continuing education.

T H E S TAT E O F D E N TA L C E

H O W M U C H S P E N T A N N U A L LY O N C E

PRE-2020 11% spent less than $100 20% spent $100 - $1,000 33% spent $1,001 - $5,000 25% spent $5,001 - $10,000 10% spent $10,000+

P O S T- 2 0 2 0 10% spent less than $100 25% spent $100 - $1,000 44% spent $1,001 - $5,000 14% spent $5,001 - $10,000 7% spent $10,000+

13

F IN A N C I A L I N V E ST ME NT AND MOT IVATIO N

EXPERIENCE LEVEL versus how much they spent annually on CE

ALL RESPONDENTS PRE-2020 Less Than 5 Years 47% spent less than $100 32% spent $100 - $1,000 19% spent $1,001 - $5,000 0% spent $5,001 - $10,000 2% spent $10,000+

5-15 Years 6% spent less than $100 19% spent $100 - $1,000 38% spent $1,001 - $5,000 28% spent $5,001 - $10,000 9% spent $10,000+

More Than 15 Years 4% spent less than $100 18% spent $100 - $1,000 35% spent $1,001 - $5,000 31% spent $5,001 - $10,000 12% spent $10,000+

T H E S TAT E O F D E N TA L C E

P O S T- 2 0 2 0 Less Than 5 Years 23% spent less than $100 28% spent $100 - $1,000 32% spent $1,001 - $5,000 11% spent $5,001 - $10,000 6% spent $10,000+

5-15 Years 4% spent less than $100 23% spent $100 - $1,000 44% spent $1,001 - $5,000 16% spent $5,001 - $10,000 13% spent $10,000+

More Than 15 Years 9% spent less than $100 26% spent $100 - $1,000 46% spent $1,001 - $5,000 14% spent $5,001 - $10,000 4% spent $10,000+

15

F IN A N C I A L I N V E ST ME NT AND MOT IVATIO N

Specialists versus GPs how much spent annually on CE

PRE-2020

SPECIALISTS 2% spent less than $100 23% spent $100 - $1,000 44% spent $1,001 - $5,000 25% spent $5,001 - $10,000 6% spent $10,000+

GPs 13% spent less than $100 20% spent $100 - $1,000 31% spent $1,001 - $5,000 26% spent $5,001 - $10,000 10% spent $10,000+

T H E S TAT E O F D E N TA L C E

P O S T- 2 0 2 0

SPECIALISTS 6% spent less than $100 25% spent $100 - $1,000 53% spent $1,001 - $5,000 12% spent $5,001 - $10,000 4% spent $10,000+

GPs 10% spent less than $100 26% spent $100 - $1,000 42% spent $1,001 - $5,000 15% spent $5,001 - $10,000 7% spent $10,000+

What is most interesting here is that the pandemic did not lessen how much dentists are spending on dental CE overall. Instead, it seems to have forced spending toward the mid tiers. Nearly across the board, big spenders and penny pinchers have changed their habits and are meeting in the middle.

17

F IN A N C I A L I N V E ST ME NT AND MOT IVATIO N

Motivation In this part of the survey, we asked respondents to rank these statements from most important to least important.

In this part of the survey, we asked respondents to rank these statements from most important to least important. While the graphs here show what the respondents ranked as their number one choice, it is interesting to note that based on how they ranked the other statements the final ranking for all respondents is: 1. Learn new clinical skills 2. Learn about new technology 3. Learn how to better manage my practice 4. Meet CE requirements 5. Refresh my memory on procedures I already know 6. Meet like-minded dentists

T H E S TAT E O F D E N TA L C E

P R I M A R Y R E A S O N T O S E E K O U T D E N TA L C E ALL RESPONDENTS First choice

Last choice

69% Learn new clinical skills

16% Meet CE requirements

6% Learn about new technology

4% Learn how to better manage my practice

3% Meet like-minded dentists

2% Refresh my memory on procedures I already know

19

F IN A N C I A L I N V E ST ME NT AND MOT IVATIO N

Experience Level

versus preferred in-person learning formats

ALL RESPONDENTS Less Than 5 Years

74% said to “Learn new clinical skills” 19% said to “Meet CE requirements” 3% said to “Learn how to better manage my practice” 2% said to “Refresh my memory on procedures I already know”

5-15 Years

78% said to “Learn new clinical skills” 11% said to “Meet CE requirements” 4% said to “Learn about new technology” 3% said to “Meet like-minded dentists” 2% said to “Refresh my memory on procedures I already know” 2% said to “Learn how to better manage my practice”

More Than 15 Years

64% said to “Learn new clinical skills” 18% said to “Meet CE requirements” 8% said to “Learn about new technology” 5% said to “Learn how to better manage my practice” 3% said to “Meet like-minded dentists” 2% said to “Refresh my memory on procedures I already know”

T H E S TAT E O F D E N TA L C E

Primary Reasons to Seek Out Dental CE SPECIALISTS 100 Learn about new technology

75

Meet CE requirements Learn new clinical skills

50

Learn how to better manage my practice Meet like-minded dentists

25

Refresh my memory on procedures I already know

0 72%1 5%

5%

4%

2%

2%

GPs 100 Learn about new technology

75

Meet CE requirements Learn new clinical skills

50

Learn how to better manage my practice Meet like-minded dentists

25

Refresh my memory on procedures I already know

0 69%1 6%

6%

4%

3%

2%

21

Modality an introduction by Dr. Ricardo Mitrani

A true silver lining of the COVID-19 pandemic has been the ability of clinicians to stay up to date with continuing education utilizing the online alternative.

A true silver lining of the COVID-19 pandemic

Clear advantages of the online format include

has been the ability of clinicians to stay up to

the audience’s ability to consume and digest

date with continuing education utilizing the

information at whatever pace they possibly

online alternative.

can, but also return to the source so that the information provided is processed and

While the results of these surveys show a

assimilated at a deeper level than the typical

clear split in preferences, I believe it is safe

live in person presentation.

to say that moving forward, clinicians and their dental teams will experience a hybrid

Nonetheless, in my honest opinion, the

model of education, where one format will

in-person experience will still be in demand

complement the other.

for a large percentage of the audience since it provides a unique energy and opportunity to interact live with colleagues. To step out of the working environment and to take a break from the hectic schedule, to catch up with friends, compare “notes” and unwind.

T H E S TAT E O F D E N TA L C E

P R E F E R R E D M O DA L I T I E S (G E N E R A L )

61% prefer learning in person 39% prefer learning online

E X P E R I E N C E L E V E L V E R S U S P R E F E R R E D M O DA L I T Y Less Than 5 Years • 51% prefer learning in person • 49% prefer learning online

5-15 Years • 69% prefer learning in person • 31% prefer learning online

More Than 15 Years • 59% prefer learning in person • 41% prefer learning online

23

M O DA L I TY

Preferred Modalities

SPECIALISTS 51% prefer learning in person 49% prefer learning online

GPs 63% prefer learning in person 37% prefer learning online

T H E S TAT E O F D E N TA L C E

While the recent pandemic forced us to learn to do more things online, it seems that it didn’t create a preference for learning from home. The majority of dentists across all categories said they’d prefer to learn in person.

“I’m more engaged when in person,” said one dentist. “I also enjoy the hands-on clinical workshops more than a strictly lecture format. Being able to apply a new skill and get immediate feedback is very important to development as a clinician.”

And that seems to be the consensus, with most respondents saying in-person learning helps them engage more with the material.

As for those who said they prefer learning online, flexibility was their number one reason. Many of the respondents who preferred online CE said it allows them to learn while being able to take care of tasks at home and in the office. One dentist went a bit further with their explanation: “Since a large portion of CE is didactic, I find it is most efficient for me to do CE digitally. I also think that the traditional model of CE needs to be re-imagined with pre-coursework and post-coursework playing a large role so that hands-on time can be maximized.”

25

Modality Online

In this part of the survey, we asked dentists to select which statement was most true for them:

• I prefer to learn on my own with pre-recorded courses • I prefer to attend live online events like virtual seminars and webinars • I prefer to learn with a group, watching a pre-recorded lesson and then discussing it with my peers As you’ll see, the majority of dentists said they prefer to learn on their own when doing online CE. This is in accord with the responses we saw earlier in which dentists said they like online learning for its flexibility. Virtual seminars and webinars are usually a scheduled event on a specific day and time, and learning with a group online can also require you to have to work around other people’s availability.

P R E F E R R E D O N L I N E L E A R N I N G F O R M AT S

22% “I prefer to learn with a group, watching a pre-recorded lesson and then discussing it with my peers” 25% said “I prefer to attend live online events like virtual seminars and webinars” 53% said “I prefer to learn on my own with pre-recorded courses”

T H E S TAT E O F D E N TA L C E

Experience Level versus preferred online learning formats

Less Than 5 Years

64% said “I prefer to learn on my own with pre-recorded courses” 25% said “I prefer to attend live online events like virtual seminars and webinars” 11% said “I prefer to learn with a group, watching a pre-recorded lesson and then discussing it with my peers”

5-15 Years

49% said “I prefer to learn on my own with pre-recorded courses” 24% said “I prefer to attend live online events like virtual seminars and webinars” 27% said “I prefer to learn with a group, watching a pre-recorded lesson and then discussing it with my peers”

More Than 15 Years

53% said “I prefer to learn on my own with pre-recorded courses” 25% said “I prefer to attend live online events like virtual seminars and webinars” 22% said “I prefer to learn with a group, watching a pre-recorded lesson and then discussing it with my peers”

27

M ODA L I T Y ON LI NE

Preferred Online Learning Formats

SPECIALISTS 24% said “I prefer to attend live online events like virtual seminars and webinars” 27% said “I prefer to learn with a group, watching a pre-recorded lesson and then discussing it with my peers” 49% said “I prefer to learn on my own with pre-recorded courses”

T H E S TAT E O F D E N TA L C E

GPs 21% said “I prefer to attend live online events like virtual seminars and webinars” 25% said “I prefer to learn with a group, watching a pre-recorded lesson and then discussing it with my peers” 54% said “I prefer to learn on my own with pre-recorded courses”

29

Modality In-Person

Just like with the online learning preferences, the answers from the respondents here definitely tied in with their answers regarding why they prefer in-person learning.

In this part of the survey, we asked them which of these statements was most true for them: • I prefer lecture-based learning like a seminar • I prefer hands-on learning like a workshop • I prefer to learn in a small group setting, watching a pre-recorded lesson before discussion The majority of dentists here said they prefer hands-on workshops. This makes sense since most of the people who said they’d rather learn in-person also said that being able to engage with the materials was the reason behind their preference.

P R E F E R R E D I N - P E R S O N L E A R N I N G F O R M AT S

8% said “I prefer to learn in a small group setting, watching a pre-recorded lesson before discussion” 28% said “I prefer lecture-based learning like a seminar” 64% said “I prefer hands-on learning like a workshop”

T H E S TAT E O F D E N TA L C E

Experience Level

versus preferred in-person learning formats

Less Than 5 Years

75% said “I prefer hands-on learning like a workshop” 17% said “I prefer lecture-based learning like a seminar” 8% said “I prefer to learn in a small group setting, watching a pre-recorded lesson before discussion”

5-15 Years

78% said “I prefer hands-on learning like a workshop” 19% said “I prefer lecture-based learning like a seminar” 3% said “I prefer to learn in a small group setting, watching a pre-recorded lesson before discussion”

More Than 15 Years

54% said “I prefer hands-on learning like a workshop” 36% said “I prefer lecture-based learning like a seminar” 10% said “I prefer to learn in a small group setting, swatching a pre-recorded lesson before discussion”

31

M O DA L I TY I N - P E R S O N

Preferred In-Person Learning Formats

SPECIALISTS 10% said “I prefer to learn in a small group setting, watching a pre-recorded lesson before discussion” 37% said “I prefer lecture-based learning like a seminar”

53% said “I prefer hands-on learning like a workshop”

T H E S TAT E O F D E N TA L C E

GPs 8% said “I prefer to learn in a small group setting, watching a pre-recorded lesson before discussion” 27% said “I prefer lecture-based learning like a seminar”

65% said “I prefer hands-on learning like a workshop”

33

Modality Changes Over Time Online It’s obvious from these numbers that the recent pandemic increased the number of hours people spend attending CE online.

What’s most interesting here is how much that has increased. Across all categories, we see a drop in dentists who watched less than an hour of online CE each to year and a rise in how many watched it for nine or more hours.

We didn’t ask a “why” follow up question here, so our best guess is that with practices closed or with severely limited hours, dentists used their new free time to hone their clinical and practice management skills.

Good to know dentists do not have idle hands!

T H E S TAT E O F D E N TA L C E

H O W M A N Y H O U R S T H E Y T Y P I C A L LY S P E N T WAT C H I N G O N L I N E C E L E S S O N S E A C H M O N T H

PRE-2020 29% watched online CE less than an hour 35% watched online CE less than an hour 18% watched online CE less than an hour 6% watched online CE less than an hour 3% watched online CE less than an hour 9% watched online CE less than an hour

P O S T- 2 0 2 0 12% watched online CE less than an hour 36% watched online CE less than an hour 24% watched online CE less than an hour 11% watched online CE less than an hour 4% watched online CE less than an hour 13% watched online CE less than an hour

35

M O DA L I TY C HA N GE S OV E R T I ME O N LI NE

Experience Level

hours spent watching online CE lessons each month

ALL RESPONDENTS PRE-2020 Less Than 5 Years 27% watched online CE less than an hour 33% watched online CE 1 - 3 hours 19% watched online CE 3 -5 hours 10% watched online CE 9+ hours 7% watched online CE 5 - 7 hours 4% watched online CE 7 - 9 hours

5-15 Years 36% watched online CE less than an hour 34% watched online CE 1 - 3 hours 20% watched online CE 3 -5 hours 5% watched online CE 9+ hours 3% watched online CE 5 - 7 hours 2% watched online CE 7 - 9 hours

More Than 15 Years 25% watched online CE less than an hour 36% watched online CE 1 - 3 hours 16% watched online CE 3 -5 hours 11% watched online CE 9+ hours 8% watched online CE 5 - 7 hours 4% watched online CE 7 - 9 hours

T H E S TAT E O F D E N TA L C E

P O S T- 2 0 2 0 Less Than 5 Years 23% watched online CE less than an hour 28% watched online CE 1 - 3 hours 17% watched online CE 3 -5 hours 15% watched online CE 9+ hours 6% watched online CE 5 - 7 hours 11% watched online CE 7 - 9 hours

5-15 Years 9% watched online CE less than an hour 47% watched online CE 1 - 3 hours 27% watched online CE 3 -5 hours 10% watched online CE 9+ hours 1% watched online CE 5 - 7 hours 6% watched online CE 7 - 9 hours

More Than 15 Years 10% watched online CE less than an hour 34% watched online CE 1 - 3 hours 24% watched online CE 3 -5 hours 9% watched online CE 9+ hours 6% watched online CE 5 - 7 hours 17% watched online CE 7 - 9 hours

37

M O DA L I TY C HA N GE S OV E R T I ME O N LI NE

Specialists versus GPs hours spent watching online CE lessons each month

PRE-2020

SPECIALISTS 27% watched online CE less than an hour 31% watched online CE 1 - 3 hours 18% watched online CE 3 -5 hours 10% watched online CE 5 - 7 hours 6% watched online CE 7 - 9 hours 8% watched online CE 9+ hours

GPs 29% watched online CE less than an hour 35% watched online CE 1 - 3 hours 18% watched online CE 3 -5 hours 6% watched online CE 5 - 7 hours 3% watched online CE 7 - 9 hours 9% watched online CE 9+ hours

T H E S TAT E O F D E N TA L C E

P O S T- 2 0 2 0

SPECIALISTS 8% watched online CE less than an hour 42% watched online CE 1 - 3 hours 29% watched online CE 3 -5 hours 4% watched online CE 5 - 7 hours 4% watched online CE 7 - 9 hours 13% watched online CE 9+ hours

GPs 13% watched online CE less than an hour 35% watched online CE 1 - 3 hours 23% watched online CE 3 -5 hours 11% watched online CE 5 - 7 hours 4% watched online CE 7 - 9 hours 14% watched online CE 9+ hours

39

Modality Changes Over Time In-Person It makes sense that, when compared to online CE, attendance at in-person CE events was adversely affected by the pandemic.

Across the board we see that dentists pulled back on attending live CE – with the exception of dentists who have been in practice for five years or less. That particular group saw a small uptick in how many of them are attending in-person CE for nine or more hours per month - 4% pre-2020 vs 7% post-2020.

If you fall into that particular group, we’d love to hear why you might be attending even more in-person CE. Let us know at social@speareducation.com, and your answer might be featured in a future Spear Digest article!

T H E S TAT E O F D E N TA L C E

HOW MA N Y HO UR S THE Y TYPI CALLY SPENT WATC H IN G IN - P E R SO N CE LESSONS EACH MONTH

PRE-2020 17% attended in-person CE less than an hour 31% attended in-person CE 1 - 3 hours 19% attended in-person CE 3 -5 hours 13% attended in-person CE 5 - 7 hours 5% attended in-person CE 7 - 9 hours 15% attended in-person CE 9+ hours

P O S T- 2 0 2 0 45% attended in-person CE less than an hour 31% attended in-person CE 1 - 3 hours 12% attended in-person CE 3 -5 hours 3% attended in-person CE 5 - 7 hours 3% attended in-person CE 7 - 9 hours 6% attended in-person CE 9+ hours

41

M O DA L I TY C HA N GE S OV E R T I ME I N- P ERS O N

Experience Level

hours spent watching in-person CE lessons each month

ALL RESPONDENTS PRE-2020 Less Than 5 Years 56% attended in-person CE less than an hour 25% attended in-person CE 1 - 3 hours 11% attended in-person CE 3 -5 hours 4% attended in-person CE 5 - 7 hours 0% attended in-person CE 7 - 9 hours 4% attended in-person CE 9+ hours

5-15 Years 11% attended in-person CE less than an hour 39% attended in-person CE 1 - 3 hours 19% attended in-person CE 3 -5 hours 10% attended in-person CE 5 - 7 hours 6% attended in-person CE 7 - 9 hours 15% attended in-person CE 9+ hours

More Than 15 Years 10% attended in-person CE less than an hour 29% attended in-person CE 1 - 3 hours 21% attended in-person CE 3 -5 hours 16% attended in-person CE 5 - 7 hours 6% attended in-person CE 7 - 9 hours 18% attended in-person CE 9+ hours

T H E S TAT E O F D E N TA L C E

P O S T- 2 0 2 0 Less Than 5 Years 66% attended in-person CE less than an hour 21% attended in-person CE 1 - 3 hours 6% attended in-person CE 3 -5 hours 0% attended in-person CE 5 - 7 hours 0% attended in-person CE 7 - 9 hours 7% attended in-person CE 9+ hours

5-15 Years 33% attended in-person CE less than an hour 37% attended in-person CE 1 - 3 hours 14% attended in-person CE 3 -5 hours 5% attended in-person CE 5 - 7 hours 4% attended in-person CE 7 - 9 hours 7% attended in-person CE 9+ hours

More Than 15 Years 44% attended in-person CE less than an hour 30% attended in-person CE 1 - 3 hours 13% attended in-person CE 3 -5 hours 4% attended in-person CE 5 - 7 hours 3% attended in-person CE 7 - 9 hours 6% attended in-person CE 9+ hours

43

M O DA L I TY C HA N GE S OV E R T I ME I N- P ERS O N

Specialists versus GPs

hours spent watching in-person CE lessons each month

PRE-2020

SPECIALISTS 17% attended in-person CE less than an hour 40% attended in-person CE 1 - 3 hours 12% attended in-person CE 3 -5 hours 17% attended in-person CE 5 - 7 hours 2% attended in-person CE 7 - 9 hours 12% attended in-person CE 9+ hours

GPs 17% attended in-person CE less than an hour 30% attended in-person CE less than an hour 20% attended in-person CE less than an hour 12% attended in-person CE less than an hour 6% attended in-person CE less than an hour 15% attended in-person CE less than an hour

T H E S TAT E O F D E N TA L C E

P O S T- 2 0 2 0

SPECIALISTS 44% attended in-person CE less than an hour 35% attended in-person CE 1 - 3 hours 10% attended in-person CE 3 -5 hours 4% attended in-person CE 5 - 7 hours 0% attended in-person CE 7 - 9 hours 7% attended in-person CE 9+ hours

GPs 45% attended in-person CE less than an hour 30% attended in-person CE less than an hour 13% attended in-person CE less than an hour 3% attended in-person CE less than an hour 3% attended in-person CE less than an hour

45 6% attended in-person CE less than an hour

The CE Experience an introduction by Dr. Jeff Bonk

Having been a Spear faculty member for some time now, I have been able to talk to most of the dentists who attend our workshops. So it was interesting to me to see how what I’ve heard matches up with what they’re saying in this survey.

A big example of this is the in the “lagging topics” section. I was very surprised to see “Photography” as one of the topics in which dentists were least interested – especially the younger ones. I believe these dentists do not realize the power of the image relative to treatment planning – if they are taken well.

Most dentists today use their iPhone cameras to capture their images. They generally are taking only before and after images of patient treatment to place on social media. But I believe they are missing the boat in using quality images for assessing, planning and implementing treatment. Although iPhone cameras are good (and getting better), there remains significant distortion and deficiency in their use for one-to-one treatment planning and execution.

I’d be curious to hear what you all think of these survey results. Let us know by sending an email to social@speareducation.com.

Do these answers match up with what you believe?

T H E S TAT E O F D E N TA L C E

TRENDING TOPICS Esthetics was one of the most popular of the trending topics, which really is no surprise to our faculty.

Esthetics has become very important topic in dentistry, and social media may be playing into that. Instagram is full of images from both young and old dentists who are displaying their restorative outcomes for the world to see. Not only is this used as an advertising and marketing strategy for new patients, these dentists are providing and creating a “one-upmanship” type of situation where each post seems to attempt to display better, more attractive or eye-catching results. These displays of restorative work may be driving all ages and experience levels of dentists to learn and develop their skills and abilities and bring them to higher levels. This is a good thing for dentists, patients and the continuing education providers who can teach and instruct in this area.

Another interesting finding here is that specialists have treatment planning in their top three results. Without having asked the respondents “why,” we can only deduce the reasons based on past discussions with specialists. It is possible that their desire to learn about treatment planning is coming from their own lack of understanding in areas outside of their specialties?

Of course they know, understand and have confidence and expertise in their specific areas, but they are looking at a bigger picture in the case of complex case planning. It’s possible that they realize they need for help in the assessment and direction of care when it comes to challenging cases.

THE TOP THREE

1 Esthetics

2 Airway/Sleep Medicine

3 Treatment Planning

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THE C E E X P ER I E NCE

Top Three Topics EXPERIENCE LEVEL

Less Than 5 Years

5-15 Years

More Than 15 Years

1. Treatment planning

1. Esthetics

1. Esthetics

2. Occlusion

2. Airway/Sleep Medicine

2. Airway/Sleep Medicine

3. Esthetics

3. Orthodontics

3. Prosthodontics

T H E S TAT E O F D E N TA L C E

SPECIALISTS VERSUS GPS

SPECIALISTS

TIE

1 Airway/Sleep Medicine

2 Implants

3 Orthodontics and Treatment Planning

GPs

1 Esthetics

2 Airway/Sleep Medicine

3 Treatment Planning

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THE C E E X P ER I E NCE

Lagging Topics Most of the respondents were least interested in photography – even less so than pediatrics.

Unfortunately, what some dentists may fail to realize is that by making photography a key part of any treatment plan, they could vastly increase their case acceptance rates.

It was not that surprising that marketing/social media were lowest for dentists who have been practicing for over 15 years as well as for specialists. Established dentists most likely have a strong patient base and a working marketing plan, while many specialists rely on referrals instead of marketing directly to the patients.

BOTTOM THREE TOPICS

1 Photography

2

3

Pediatrics

Marketing/Social Media

Less Than 5 Years

5-15 Years

More Than 15 Years

1. Photography

1. Equipment

1. Pediatrics

2. Edentulous Patients

2. Pediatrics

2. Photography

3. Worn Dentition

3. Materials

3. Marketing/Social media

EXPERIENCE

T H E S TAT E O F D E N TA L C E

SPECIALISTS VERSUS GPs

SPECIALISTS

1 Marketing and Social media

2 Practice Management and Growth

3 Materials

GPs

1 Photography

2 Marketing and Social media

3 Pediatrics

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Provider Considerations

In all categories, subscription/education costs rank high for provider considerations.

For the younger group of dentists, this may relate to the high debt load many of them have following their undergraduate and graduate education costs. They may feel tapped out, which would lead them to look for educational opportunities that are less expensive.

This has definitely been a theme we’ve seen on social media as well as in dental forums and online groups.

That being said, “faculty instructors” and “company reputation” ranked as the top two for all respondents. We’ve seen in the past that dentists will check with their peers before opening their wallets to pay for CE, which means that they want to make sure whoever is teaching them is trustworthy and will actually benefit them. But this leads to a question we did not ask – how do you check out these providers? What are some sources you trust, besides your peers? Let us know at social@speareducation.com.

TOP PRIORITIES AND C O N S I D E R AT I O N S F O R C H O O S I N G A D E N TA L C E P R O V I D E R 1. Faculty/Instructors 2. Company Reputation 3. Course/Subscription Cost 4. Recommendations from peers 5. Company Tenure

T H E S TAT E O F D E N TA L C E

EXPERIENCE Less Than 5 Years

1. Course/subscription cost 2. Recommendations from peers 3. Company reputation 4. Faculty/instructors 5. Company tenure

5-15 Years

1. Course/subscription cost 2. Faculty/instructors 3. Recommendations from peers 4. Company reputation 5. Company tenure

More Than 15 Years

1. Faculty/instructors 2. Course/subscription cost 3. Company reputation 4. Recommendation from peers 5. Company tenure

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PR OV I D E R CON S IDE R AT IO N

Top Priority BOTH SPECIALISTS AND GPs

1 Course/Subscription Cost

2 Faculty/Instructors

3 Company Reputation

4 Recommendations from Peers

5 Company Tenure

T H E S TAT E O F D E N TA L C E

CE Experience L E A D I N G T H E F U T U R E O F D E N TA L C E

Strongly Agree

Agree

Neutral

Strongly Disagree

Disagree

I learn more effectively in-person than online

Online learning is more flexible and convenient

Learning with free CE is just as effective as paying for CE credits

I’m satisfied with the available for the CE today

It’s easy for me to find CE that’s relevant and applicable to my practice

100%

0%

100%

Through this survey, we have learned so much about not only what topics interest you most as dental professionals, but also how and where you prefer to hone your skills. While we wanted to share these results with the entire dental community so you could all see where dental continuing education currently stands, we will also be applying this knowledge internally. As Dr. Frank Spear said in the introduction to this e-book, a lot has changed in dental CE over the years – and Spear Education continues to strive to stay at the forefront.

From the innovations we’ve made in online learning and study clubs to our constantly evolving curriculum that utilizes the latest research, Spear not only keeps up with trends but creates new ones. This survey will help us to better offer you the content you want in the ways that you learn best while we continue to break new ground. In the end, it’s all about achieving Great Dentistry – and we’re going to help each other get there.

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THE PURSUIT OF

G R E AT DENTISTRY Patients can feel the support in a Spear dental practice. From office managers and front office staff to practice owners and new associates, there is a recognizable cohesion in messaging and precision of care in the operatory. Everyone is constantly learning – including patients.

L E A R N O N YO U R OW N Spear video lessons and other CE multimedia provide doctors and dental professionals of all skill levels with the training to master any clinical or practice management issue. Our faculty have you covered with content you can enjoy at home, from your practice, or from anywhere you are comfortable.

LEARN ALONGSIDE OTHERS Your peers are just a click away with virtual seminars that allow you the flexibility of attending a large event from anywhere — or attend hands-on, lab-based workshops with like-minded dentists at the Spear Campus in scenic Scottsdale, Arizona.

LEARN HANDS-ON With little room for error with often-skeptical patients, your team should feel as comfortable addressing any practice management issue. Guide their professional and clinical development with online courses that cover a wide range of everyday dental practice challenges. Study clubs and campus workshops offer a collaborative, small-group learning environment to discover how to consistently achieve your desired clinical outcomes.

T H E S TAT E O F D E N TA L C E

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