IDEA: world-class, hands-on education in the San Francisco Bay Area

Located in the San Francisco Bay Area of California, IDEA — the Interdisciplinary Dental Education Academy — prides itself on offering fully integrated training that is meant to give participants high-quality skills that they can immediately put to use to improve patient care and upgrade their offices.

In an effort to maximize each participant’s ability to learn one-on-one with faculty members, courses are limited to 16 participants. Such a small class size is meant to facilitate direct mentoring. 

 

Lecture rooms include digital whiteboards and advanced audiovisual capabilities, and a state-of-the-art simulation lab features high-level equipment for use by participants, as well as a microscope at each workstation.

The academy also has a state-of-the-art operatory, where participants can communicate with the faculty during surgery and learn live from lecture rooms through multi-room audiovisual system with microphones and speakers to allow active participation between rooms.

Accommodations are provided to students. Meals are cooked on-site by an executive gourmet chef and are held in a dining room. During meals and evening social time, participants typically discuss practice styles, philosophies, techniques and treatment planning of their difficult cases with both faculty and peers from around the world.

IDEA boasts a celebrated alumni and a high level of retention among participants, who often return for new course offerings.

IDEA is not sponsored or directly affiliated with any companies or products. All honorariums are paid by IDEA, which speaks to the academy’s mission of being “Just PURE Teaching.”

IDEA is a certified provider of innovative courses that satisfy the specific needs of all dental professionals — from general practitioner to specialist to dental technician. Each course fulfills requirements for continuing education credits for ADA, AGD PACE, AACD PESA, the Dental Board of California, and NBC in Dental Technology.

“IDEA is a revolutionary facility, which every dentist should attend a program at,” said Dr Graham Carmichael of Sydney, Australia. “[The] program [I attended] was a truly amazing experience, well worth travelling halfway around the world. 
I’ll be back.”

Dr Peter Kirmeier of Westminster, Colo., said, “Over the past 35 years, I have taken literally hundreds of seminars, most of them hands-on. This is by far the most organized and best-equipped hands-on facility that I’ve ever had the pleasure to take a course at.”

“The course with John West was an unique experience for me,” said Dr Ralph Dietrich of Muenster, Germany. “My endodontic skills increased tremendously, and I am looking forward to every gangrenous tooth or inflamed pulp. The outstanding practical part and the step-by-step approach made the implementation into my practice immediately possible. My endodontic treatment is now very successful and increased my practice reputation a lot. I tell every colleague about this outstanding course at IDEA.”

More information on specific course offerings, faculty and scheduling is available from IDEA.