Summary:

Where: San Francisco Airport Marriott Waterfront
1800 Old Bayshore Hwy
Burlingame, CA 94010

When: January 29 – 30, 2027

Friday:
Pinhole Surgical Technique, 9:00 – 4:00 pm

Saturday:
Sedation Safety & Emergency Preparedness, 8:00 – 5:00pm,
Beyond the Image: Clinical CBCT Interpretation and Treatment Planning for the General Dentist, 8:00 – 5:00pm

Friday, January 29, 2027

Pinhole Surgical Technique for Gingival Recession

9:00 – 4:00pm

Speaker: Dr. John Chao

Tuition: AGD Member: $450.00
Non-AGD Member: $900.00

AGD Subject Code: 490 (periodontics)

Course Description: 

This participation course introduces the Pinhole Surgical Technique® (PST®), a minimally invasive alternative to traditional grafting for treating gingival recession. PST® uses specialized instruments to reposition existing gingival tissue through small entry points without scalpels, sutures, or a secondary donor site.

The course will examine the etiology and clinical impact of gingival recession, the biological principles of PST®, case selection, and the fundamental procedural sequence. Participants will review published evidence, including a 14.5-year retrospective case series reporting 86.6% mean root coverage, a randomized split-mouth clinical trial, and a 35-month clinical study combining PST® with Surgical Crown Shortening for Class III recession defects.

An instructor-guided typodont exercise will allow participants to practice fundamental PST® concepts using specialized instruments. Training will include proper instrument handling, entry-point positioning, tissue release, coronal tissue movement, and procedural sequencing on a simulation model.

Course Objectives:

• Describe the biological principles and fundamental procedural steps of PST® for managing gingival recession.
• Evaluate findings from long-term and comparative studies to assess the clinical outcomes and predictability of PST®.
• Identify appropriate clinical indications for PST®, including advanced cases that may require referral or combination therapy.
• Demonstrate proper handling of specialized PST® instruments and simulate fundamental tissue-release and coronal tissue-movement techniques on a typodont model.

About the Speaker: 

Dr. John Chao is the inventor of the Pinhole® Surgical Technique for treatment of gum recession. His involvement with the Post-Graduate Periodontics Program at the University of Buffalo, SUNY, speaks to the depth of his knowledge and experience in the scientific investigation of gum disease.

Saturday, January 30, 2027

Sedation Safety & Emergency Preparedness

A Full-Day Course for Dentists and Dental Auxiliary Staff

8:00 – 5:00pm
Speaker: Dr. Gina Salatino

Tuition: AGD members: $199.00
Non-AGD Member: $249.00

CE: 8 (Lecture) 
AGD Subject Code: 340 & 130 (Anesthesia & Pain Management/Electives)

Course Description: 

This full-day course equips general dentists and their auxiliary staff with the knowledge and practical skills needed to safely evaluate, monitor, and manage sedation patients in the dental office. Participants will review levels of sedation and associated risk, examine real-world case patterns in sedation-related morbidity and mortality, and gain hands-on familiarity with the monitoring tools most likely to catch a developing emergency before it becomes critical. The course places particular emphasis on building and rehearsing a functional in-office emergency response system — covering staff roles, drug and equipment readiness, and structured team communication during a code. Through case-based simulation and small-group drills, attendees will leave with a concrete framework for strengthening sedation safety in their own practice.

Course Objectives:

• Classify patients by ASA physical status and identify airway risk factors relevant to sedation candidacy.
• Differentiate between minimal, moderate, deep sedation, and general anesthesia, and describe the risk profile associated with each level.
• Interpret pulse oximetry, capnography, and auscultated heart/lung sounds to identify early signs of physiological compromise.
• Recognize common causes of monitoring failure in the dental office, including alarm fatigue and inadequate baseline documentation.
• Construct a written emergency management protocol that defines staff roles and response sequences.
• Apply emergency algorithms to simulated scenarios, including respiratory depression, laryngospasm, and allergic reaction.
• Demonstrate effective team communication and role delegation during the first 60 seconds of a sedation emergency.
• Evaluate office emergency drug kits and equipment for completeness, expiration tracking, and readiness.
• Design and lead an in-office mock emergency drill for their own team.
• Identify documentation practices that support both patient safety and legal defensibility in sedation cases.

About the Speaker:

A graduate from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas School of Dental Medicine, Dr. Gina Salatino has served the Rocklin, California area as a general dentist since 2010. Gina was trained in moderate IV sedation while in dental school and for 6 years post graduate, she trained roughly half of the nation’s dental sedation providers in moderate IV sedation. Today she owns and maintains a full-time general dental practice, provides mobile moderate sedation services to dentists in the Northern California area, performs sedation evaluations for the Dental Board of California and operates a dental assisting program for teaching radiation safety. In 2015 she published a pocket drug guidebook to help fellow sedation providers with quick, easy, and helpful guidance while selecting or administering sedative drugs for sedation.

Gina is passionate about education and received her Masters in the Academy of General Dentistry in 2026.  In 2011 she was awarded her fellowship in DOCs sedation program.

Saturday, January 30, 2027

Beyond the Image: Clinical CBCT Interpretation and Treatment Planning for the General Dentist

8:00 – 5:00pm
Speaker: Dr. Milan Alexander

Tuition: AGD members: $795.00
Non-AGD Member: $995.00

CE: 8 participation CE
AGD Subject Code: 730 (Oral Diagnosis)

Course Description:

This comprehensive 8-hour course is designed to provide general dentists with the knowledge and confidence to effectively interpret CBCT imaging and incorporate three-dimensional diagnostics into everyday clinical practice. Participants will develop a systematic approach to evaluating maxillofacial anatomy, identifying pathological findings, and translating radiographic information into informed clinical decisions.

The course explores essential aspects of CBCT interpretation, including anatomical variations, incidental findings, endodontic applications, impacted teeth, odontogenic and non-odontogenic pathology, paranasal sinus evaluation, temporomandibular joint assessment, and airway considerations. Additional emphasis will be placed on implant site evaluation, anatomical risk assessment, prosthetically driven implant planning, and the fundamentals of full-arch rehabilitation (All-on-X).

Through real-world clinical cases and practical examples, participants will learn to recognize clinically significant findings, anticipate potential complications, understand when specialist referral is appropriate, and utilize CBCT to improve diagnostic accuracy, interdisciplinary communication, and treatment predictability. This course is ideal for general dentists seeking to maximize the diagnostic value of CBCT technology, improve patient outcomes, and increase confidence in interpreting three-dimensional imaging.

Course Objectives:

• Develop a systematic and reproducible approach to CBCT interpretation.
• Identify normal maxillofacial anatomy, anatomical variations, and clinically significant landmarks.
• Recognize incidental findings and determine when additional evaluation or specialist referral is indicated.
• Apply CBCT imaging to endodontic diagnosis and treatment planning.
• Evaluate implant sites, including bone morphology, available volume, and proximity to critical anatomical structures.
• Understand CBCT applications in prosthetically driven implant planning and full-arch rehabilitation (All-on-X).
• Assess impacted teeth and third molars using three-dimensional anatomical relationships.
• Differentiate common odontogenic and non-odontogenic pathological findings.
• Identify relevant paranasal sinus abnormalities and their implications for dental treatment.
• Interpret osseous findings of the temporomandibular joints and recognize CBCT limitations in soft tissue evaluation.
• Understand the fundamentals of upper airway assessment and the limitations of static imaging.
• Recognize medico-legal responsibilities associated with CBCT acquisition, interpretation, documentation, and appropriate referral.
• Incorporate CBCT findings into comprehensive treatment planning and interdisciplinary patient care.

About the Speaker:

Dr. Alexander focuses on oral and maxillofacial surgical cases, with extensive experience in advanced implant surgery, complex maxillary reconstruction, and three-dimensional diagnostic imaging. Throughout his career, Dr. Alexander has personally reviewed and interpreted thousands of cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) scans, using three-dimensional imaging for diagnosis, surgical planning, anatomical assessment, and the identification of pathology. His experience encompasses more than 15,000 dental implant placements, including highly complex cases involving severe bone deficiencies, advanced grafting, and craniofacial reconstruction.

As Director of Centromatix Dental Lab, which focuses on the creation of maxillofacial prosthetic appliances and surgical guides, Dr. Alexander combines extensive hands-on clinical experience with a strong commitment to continuing education. His daily work requires detailed interpretation of maxillofacial anatomy, odontogenic pathology, anatomical variations, neurovascular structures, paranasal sinuses, temporomandibular joints, and other pathological findings. His work in complex surgical cases has given him a unique perspective on translating radiographic findings into meaningful clinical decisions, recognizing abnormalities, and identifying when additional evaluation or specialist referral is warranted.

Drawing from thousands of real-world clinical cases, Dr. Alexander emphasizes a systematic, practical approach to CBCT interpretation that extends beyond simply identifying anatomical structures. His educational philosophy focuses on helping clinicians develop the confidence to recognize clinically significant findings, avoid diagnostic oversights, improve treatment planning, and incorporate three-dimensional imaging into everyday dental practice.

Refund and Cancellation Policy:

• Registrations are subject to a $75 non-refundable processing fee.
• Cancellations made by email prior to 1/8/27 will receive a refund less the $75 processing fee.
• Cancellations made after 1/8/27 are completely non-refundable.
• Transfer of a registration to another name will be considered by email request through 1/8/27.
  

  Registration:

  Hotel offering your special group rate: * San Francisco Airport Marriott Waterfront for 199.00 USD per night

  Start Date: Thursday, January 28, 2027
  End Date: Monday, February 01, 2027

  Last Day to Book : Thursday, January 14, 2027