2023 Speaker Series

The Epidemic of Cracked Teeth:
New Science of Strong Teeth

7L CE | AGD 250 Operative (Restorative) Dentistry

with David Clark, DDS

Friday, January 27, 2023
8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.

Marriott College Park Conference Center
3501 University Blvd East | Hyattsville
Room 2111-2110

Lunch is provided

Course Description:

Currently the diagnosis and treatment of cracked and fractured teeth is largely symptom based and is therefore often a sad, end stage diagnosis. The fracturing process in one of dentistry’s last great mysteries and is poorly understood throughout the generalist and specialist dental community. In this engaging and entertaining lecture, you will learn to understand and diagnose pathologic cracks utilizing magnification and other modalities, and treat long before symptoms arise or the tooth becomes unsalvageable. Dr. Clark will teach routine identification of early cracks and teach the Clark Class II saucer shaped nonretentive preparation and Fissurotomy Class I that are a significant departure from the G.V. Black preparations that are a leading cause of cracked teeth. He will share his published approach to diagnosis based on 16X magnification, step by step predictable treatment, endodontic and periodontal implications, and when to extract.

Course Objectives:

Participants in this course will gain knowledge in the following areas:

Have confidence identifying early tooth fracturing based on high level magnification
Learn why new Class II cavity preparations and other modalities are crucial to prevent eventual tooth fracture
Receive a blueprint for diagnosis and treatment of complete and incomplete fractures
Understand the Fissurotomy, Calla Lilly and Overlay preparations for Class I restorations

About the Speaker:

Dr. David Clark is director of Bioclear Learning Centers International. He founded the Academy of Microscope Enhanced Dentistry, creates curriculum for dental schools, and has lectured in twenty-seven countries. He developed the Bioclear Matrix System for placement of biologically appropriate, esthetically pleasing direct composite restorations for facilitating Injection Molding of the Clark Class I and Class II preparations, diastema closure and black triangle elimination combined with papilla regeneration. He is actively collaborating with schools to move beyond the tragically outdated GV Black cavity preparations. The Clark Class I and Clark Class II preparations and injection molded restorations (non-retentive, compression based and infinity edge margins) have been confirmed in multiple studies. He owns several patents.

He and Dr. John Khademi are acknowledged as fathers of Minimally Invasive Endodontics, which at first was rejected by most North American endodontists but is now being embraced by the mainstream. He published the first classification system for dentin and enamel cracks based on sixteen power magnification. He has conducted studies on cracked teeth. He has designed numerous instruments, burs, wedges, matrices, separators, and equipment and has written chapters for both esthetic dentistry and endodontic textbooks.

Dr. Clark is a 1986 graduate of the University of Washington School of Dentistry.