Education at Every Step

Despite 30 years of experience as a practicing dentist, Dr. Dan Butterman has a front-row seat to the struggles new dentists face when transitioning from dental school to real-world practice. His son, who graduated last year and recently joined his practice, is navigating that very learning curve.

“When I graduated dental school, we had to do a certain number of procedures on actual patients,” said Dr. Butterman, who is Chief Dental Officer at Spear Education. “Now, a lot of students are graduating having done very minimal procedures on live patients. Didactically, they are prepared, but when it comes to actual hands-on skills, they haven’t fully developed them yet.”

Bridging the Gap

This lack of preparation can lead to a crisis of confidence for young dentists. Many struggle with fundamental aspects of patient care, such as treatment planning, case selection, and even the ability to execute single-tooth restorations efficiently.

“People go through a lot of pain to get to the point where they are finally comfortable with dentistry,” Dr. Butterman noted. “Our goal is to help them bridge that gap sooner, so they don’t have to struggle for years before they feel competent.”

Dr. Butterman noted that while Spear has long been the ideal choice for good dentists striving for greatness, reaching the highest level requires a solid foundation of skill to build upon.

"And that skill is difficult to achieve when you’re relatively new," he explained.

To address these challenges, Spear is introducing GP Jumpstart, a series of Foundational Workshops focused on essential general dentistry skills such as:

• Treatment Planning and Case Acceptance

• Restorative Dentistry, including Implant Restoration

• Basic Endodontics

• Basic Surgery

• Periodontal Diagnosis and Management

GP Jumpstart Foundational Workshops will be offered in conjunction with Confident Patient Care, a 3-day workshop for early-career dentists.

“Think of it as a residency that prepares you for private practice at a high level,” Dr. Butterman said. “We want to start with single-tooth diagnosis—helping dentists confidently determine if a tooth needs a filling, a crown, or if it should be extracted. From there, we guide them through clinical skills and patient communication so they can not only diagnose properly but also get the patient to say 'yes.'"

A Pathway to Proficiency

Additionally, Spear is evolving its Spear Online platform by integrating AI-powered learning pathways. Partnering with Docebo, an advanced learning management system, Spear will create customized educational experiences based on each dentist’s interests and skill gaps. If a user watches content on endodontics, the platform will suggest additional videos and articles to enhance their knowledge.

“We’re not removing the highest-level education we currently offer,” Dr. Butterman emphasized. “We’re supplementing it. We want to meet dentists where they are today, rather than waiting for them to be where we need them to be.”