Rooted In Excellence
  • Rooted In Excellence - February 25, 2026

    How Collaboration, Culture, and Clinical Mastery Shape Modern Dentistry
  • New York County Dental Society

    622 3rd Avenue, 9th Floor
    New York, NY 10017

    2 Clinical CE Credits

    6:00–7:00 PM  |  Reception
    7:00–9:00 PM  |  Program

    • Event Information: 
    • Join the New York State Dental Association for a clinically focused Black History Month program examining how interdisciplinary collaboration and culturally informed care directly impact diagnosis, treatment planning, and patient outcomes.

      This 2-hour clinical CE symposium brings together a general dentist, an oral surgeon, and an endodontist to provide specialty-specific clinical perspectives on managing complex dental cases across diverse patient populations.

      Through case-based presentations and clinical specialty spotlights, attendees will evaluate diagnostic challenges, evidence-based treatment options, and interdisciplinary referral considerations. Topics will include trauma-informed clinical care, surgical and endodontic considerations for medically complex patients, and risk assessment and treatment modifications influenced by social, cultural, and medical factors.

      A moderated clinical roundtable will guide participants through real-world scenarios requiring coordinated care, emphasizing clinical communication across specialties, sequencing of treatment, and strategies to improve outcomes while maintaining patient trust and safety.

      This program honors the legacy of Black pioneers in dentistry while equipping today’s clinicians with practical, clinically applicable tools to enhance patient care, improve treatment outcomes, and deliver equitable, evidence-based dentistry.

      Open to all dental professionals seeking clinical CE credit and advanced interdisciplinary clinical insight.

      At the conclusion of this program, participants will be able to:

      • Evaluate diagnostic findings in complex clinical cases where cultural, medical, and behavioral factors influence treatment planning and outcomes.
      • Identify appropriate referral pathways and interdisciplinary coordination strategies between general dentists, oral surgeons, and endodontists.
      • Apply trauma-informed and culturally responsive approaches to patient communication and chairside clinical management.
      • Assess risks and treatment modifications for medically complex and systemically compromised patients.
      • Compare evidence-based treatment options across specialties and justify clinical decision-making using current literature and standards of care.
      • Improve sequencing of interdisciplinary treatment to enhance predictability, patient safety, and long-term outcomes.


      Conference Refund Policy-No Refunds
      All conference registrations are non-refundable. Once registration and payment are submitted, no refunds will be issued for any reason, including but not limited to schedule changes, travel disruptions, illness, or failure to attend.

      If the conference is canceled by the organizer, registrants will receive further instructions regarding any applicable options.

       CE Certificates will be emailed within 1-2 weeks to the email registered with. 

       

       New York State Dental Association is an ADA CERP Recognized Provider. ADA CERP is a service of the American Dental Association to assist dental professionals in identifying quality providers of continuing dental education. ADA CERP does not approve or endorse individual courses or instructors, nor does it imply acceptance of credit hours by boards of dentistry.

      Concerns or complaints about a CE Provider may be directed to the provider or theADA CERP at www.ada.org/cerp.

                                                                                                                         

       

    • Speaker Information 
    • Featuring: 

      Dr. Emma J. Guzman, DDS — General Dentistry
      The Power of the First Point of Contact: Diagnosis, Trust-Building, and Culturally Competent Care
      • How cultural identity shapes patient expectations, communication, and trust
      • The general dentist’s role in coordinating comprehensive care
      • Treatment planning through a culturally informed, patient-centered lens
      • Restorative decision-making that respects patient values and long-term outcomes


      ________________________________________


      Dr. Ashley Lofters, DDS, MD — Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery
      Clinical Considerations for the Medically Complex Dental Patient
      • Medical risk assessment in the dental setting
      • Treatment planning considerations for patients with systemic disease
      • Anesthesia, sedation, and stress-reduction strategies for higher-risk patients
      • Indications for referral and interdisciplinary collaboration to optimize patient safety


      ________________________________________


      Dr. Chanelle Smalls, DDS — Endodontics
      Preserving Teeth, Preserving Dignity: The Endodontist’s Role in Patient-Centered Care
      • Pain management and trauma-informed care in endodontic treatment
      • Ethical communication when determining whether to save or extract teeth
      • Addressing myths and fears surrounding root canal therapy in communities of color
      • Supporting long-term restorative success through endodontic care


      ________________________________________

  • Registration

    This registration form allows you to register up to four attendees at once using a single submission. If you’re registering on behalf of multiple participants, please be sure to include each attendee’s full name and email address so we can accurately track attendance and issue CE certificates. There is no cost for NYSDA members, residents, or dental students. Non-member dentists may register for a fee.

    Credit card information is not needed if total is $0.00

    CE certificates will be emailed to all participants within 1-2 weeks. 

  • If registering multiple attendees, add each person's name and email in the fields below for attendance and CE certificate. CE certificates will be emailed within 1-2 weeks. 

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          Dentist/NYSDA MemberIf registering multiple people, you must include their names and email addresses below for CE credit and attendance.
          $ Free
            
          Dentist/Non-NYSDA MemberIf registering multiple people, you must include their names and email addresses below for CE credit and attendance.
          $50.00
            
          Resident/Dental StudentIf registering multiple people, you must include their names and email addresses below for CE credit and attendance.
          $ Free
            
          Total
          $0.00

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