PAGD upcoming events

2026 PEAK Track I Spring Meeting (April 23, 2026)

Thu, 23 Apr 2026 22:00:00 GMT

The 2026 PEAK I Spring Meeting will be at Normandy Farm in Blue Bell from April 23-26. This will be the final PEAK I meeting. Please join this group for its final run of learning and developing better dentistry.

Thursday

PEAK Presentation from your Colleagues

Join your PAGD colleagues at Panache Wood Fired Grille over dinner as they present cases demonstrating their learning from previous meetings.

Friday

Everything You Need To Know About Creating Undetectable Restorations in Composite with Dr. Joyce Bassett

This course is meticulously crafted to update you on the latest technologies, review current concepts and train your eye to see nuances followed by enhanced hand skills. Techniques to create morphologically precise direct anterior and posterior composite restorations will be discussed and demonstrated. You will develop artistic capabilities by training your eyes to see the different dimensions of color, when evaluating an anterior tooth. You will then learn which opacities and thickness to use in each area to be reconstructed and make a fracture line disappear. Learn when and how to use pink composite to mimic gingiva.

Step by step finishing and polishing technique will be shown that predictably will mimic the contralateral tooth’s facial anatomy and reflective surfaces. You will restore both a class IV and build a direct composite veneer and create a morphologically precise undetectable restoration.

This class will utilize an easy, fast and practical placement technique with a bulk fill posterior composite. This procedure is based on proven adhesives, advanced composite materials and new technologies. The cases presented have been published in national peer reviewed journals. There is something for everyone to learn in this presentation.

Bring your loupes for magnification.

Learning Objectives:

Train your eyes to see color, line angles, reflective surface, shape, and form in the adjacent tooth that is being replicated
Learn how to achieve a predictable composite restoration following the stratification of opacities and achieve undetectable restorations
Learn how to layer the different opacities of composite, opaquing, tinting, finishing and surface texture to create natural light reflection and make a fracture line disappear
Review current composite materials, bonding systems, c factors, and techniques necessary to achieve predictable outcomes, while minimizing post operatory sensitivity
Master the techniques of posterior composite placement with bulk fill technology and matching techniques

Complex Aesthetic Case: When and How to Open the Vertical by Dr. Joyce Bassett

Failures in dentistry are frequently blamed on materials, but many times we, the dentists, are the culprit. We treat the anterior teeth as cosmetic challenges, and we forget to look at the relationship of form and function. This presentation will simplify occlusion by combining dental facial treatment planning in combination with function. By applying a few basic principles, we can design the proper amount of restorative space for our restorations. This innovative, fast-paced course will explore aesthetics that are BUILT TO LAST.

Learning Objectives:

Learn how to diagnose and treatment plan an aesthetic case
Evaluate the patient's incisor position and morphology, their dento-facial requirements, determine the appropriate vertical dimension and create synergy between form and function
Understand distinctive steps to simplify restorative preparations and identify which adhesives and restorative materials work the best for maximum predictability

AGD Course Code - 780 Esthetic/Cosmetic Dentistry
7.5 Credit Hours Available

Saturday

Dental Financial Planning: Turning Chaos Into Financial Freedom by Wes Read and Randy Lundy, PracticeCFO

While dentistry is one of the most lucrative career paths, many dentists struggle to build financial security and meet their life goals.

Dentists receive the training and knowledge to provide quality care for their patients, yet they are not usually equally trained in managing the financial aspects of the dental practice. Many dentists approach retirement age with little to show for decades of hard work. By following a dental-specific game plan, dentists can grow and retain more of their dental practice profits to accelerate their financial independence.

This course shares how dentists can work smarter, organize their business and personal finances, and build the life they desire. We will learn a step-by-step process that simplifies the path to financial freedom. From funding their future, eliminating debt, reducing taxes, and planning for retirement, attendees will explore a comprehensive strategy for navigating their financial future. They will discover how to calculate what Wes calls their “life goals breakeven.” They will explore the skills and experience to look for and what to avoid when selecting a financial advisory team. Attendees will leave with practical, purposeful strategies that, when implemented, lead to financial independence and greater quality of life.

Learning Objectives

Discover a holistic, simplified strategy for achieving financial freedom
Define your individual financial goals and start with the end in mind
Explore proven solutions for everything from taxes and financial analysis to investments and retirement plans
Learn to calculate the necessary practice collections to meet life goals
Understand factors to look for in selecting your team of advisors
Avoid the setbacks that prevent you from scaling your wealth

AGD Course Code - 550 Practice Management and Human Relations7.5 Credit Hours Available

Sunday

Evidence Based Occlusion, Parafunctional Control and TMD by Dr. Barry Glassman

For many years dentistry has been dominated by prevailing occlusal concepts that were initially presented in the 60’s by Ramjford and Ash. Despite the lack of evidence of the role of “interferences to centric” and “pterygoid spasms,” these concepts remain at the heart of the dental model and restorative teachings. The inevitable confusion has led to the development of occlusal “camps” dominated by belief system rather than principles of science.

The resulting controversy has prevented the integration of critical muscle and joint concepts into general dentistry. This program removes the controversy and exposes the myths. You and your patients will benefit immediately as the role of function and parafunction and the methods of parafunctional control are thoroughly explored.

AGD Course Code - 180 Myofacial Pain/Occlusion
4.0 Credit Hours Available

Intro to Employment Law (April 30, 2026)

Thu, 30 Apr 2026 23:00:00 GMT

Intro to Employment Law

This course will serve as an introduction into employment laws that any dentist will encounter while operating his or her own office. The course will be structured around the five areas of employment law: (1) Wage and Hour Laws; (2) Anti-Discrimination Laws; (3) Laws Governing Workplace Health and Safety; (4) Employee Benefit Laws; and (5) Labor Relations Law. The course will touch on each stage of the employment relationship, from Hiring to On-Boarding to Termination. The course will provide tools to a dentist and his or her management staff to address problematic employment issues and resources to mitigate risk around employee disputes.

1.0 CE Hours Available
AGD Subject Code - 550 Practice Management and Human Relations

2026 PEAK Track II Spring Meeting (May 15, 2026)

Fri, 15 May 2026 12:30:00 GMT

PAGD's Spring Meeting will be at the Nittany Lion Inn in State College from Friday, May 15 to Sunday, May 17.

Friday, May 15

PEAK Presentations from your Colleagues

Hear your colleagues present real-world examples of how they implemented lessons learned on orthodontics and full arch from the March 2026 meeting. Nothing to present? Come anyway, the best lessons are often learned from your colleagues.

AGD Subject Code - 130 Electives
7.0 Credit Hours Available

Evening Social Event - Local Reception

Saturday, May 16

Occlusion and Treatment Planning for Everyday Practice by Michael Melkers, DDS, FAGD

Occlusion can be one of the driest and most confusing of subjects. It is, however, one of the most, if not THE most critical aspect of diagnosis and treatment planning when it comes to the longevity of the restorative dentistry that we provide for our patients. During this interactive program, Dr. Melkers will guide an exploration and discussion of where we have been as a profession, where we are in our understanding and what mysteries still need to be solved. This course will allow for questions that the attendees bring from their own frustrations, successes, and clinical experience.

Objectives

Making sense of the basics of occlusion
Triple trays to fully adjustable articulation...when & why?
Facebows, Articulators and CR registrations
Jaw & Joint position… When is it important and when does it not really matter?
Orthotics, night guards, bite guards and splints
Occlusion you can use...that doesn't need to confuse you
Why are your restorations breaking and what can you do about it?
Purpose vs Process treatment planning
How to phase treatment over time to allow for greater case acceptance
Communicating with your technician & keeping the details straight
Cases, cases...and more cases so you can see how to apply occlusal principles in your treatment planning

AGD Subject Code - 180 Myofacial Pain/Occlusion
7.0 Credit Hours Available

Sunday, May 17

Occlusion and Treatment Planning for Everyday Practice, continued by Michael Melkers, DDS, FAGD

This will be a hands-on continuation of the Saturday didactic course.

AGD Subject Code - 180 Myofacial Pain/Occlusion
7.0 Credit Hours Available

New to Practice Roundtable (June 02, 2026)

Tue, 02 Jun 2026 23:00:00 GMT

PAGD is undertaking a new initiative to foster better dentistry through professional relationships. Roundtables are discussion groups formed around groups of PAGD members with a common interest or background. The first of these Roundtables will be the New to Practice Roundtable, which will be gathering on Zoom the evening of Tuesday, June 2 at 7:00 pm. The topic of discussion will be Associateships: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly. AGD/PAGD members out of dental school for ten years or less are invited to register and come prepared to discuss the green lights and red flags of associateships. Click the link below to sign up.