Speakers
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Dan Wells, Senior VP Harris Biomedical
Raised as an Eastern Washington farm boy, Dan’s education is electronic engineering, and his background is in the computer industry but for more than thirty years his passion has been speaking and educating in the fields of regulatory compliance and safety. He has lectured to audiences throughout the United States and in Canada. Dan presents a refreshing, simplified approach to bureaucracy and the “real world” application of regulations. Since joining Harris Biomedical in 2000, Dan has become a familiar name to the healthcare community. He is recognized for his compliance expertise regarding infection control, HIPAA, WISHA, and Centers for Disease Control recommendations. As a professional speaker, Emcee, and bureaucratic problem solver, he has received many awards for his work, including a Presidential Point of Light.
Lolinda Turner
Lolinda Turner is the Program Manager for Dental Workforce Diversity & Inclusion at Delta Dental of Washington and a Registered Dental Assistant. She leads Delta Dental’s mission-driven efforts to expand diversity at all levels within the dental profession, progress the oral health industry toward a more inclusive culture, and increase oral health equity statewide with no one left behind. Her experience at Delta Dental of Washington, Dental Assistant Instructor, and as a Registered Dental Assistant, have created a deep understanding and commitment to representation within the oral health industry as a clinician, professional, and patient.
Program Manager for Dental Workforce Diversity and Inclusion, Delta Dental of Washington
Dr. Andrea Pizzini
Dr. Andrea Pizzini is one of six board certified periodontists in the Inland Northwest area. He was born and grew up in Desenzano del Garda, Italy. He received his dental degree from the University of Alfonso X el Sabio in Madrid, Spain. In recognition of his academic record and clinical skills, he was accepted to a postgraduate course in advanced implantology with the Spanish Society of Dental Implants (SEI). Following graduation, Dr. Pizzini practiced for two years as a general dentist in Italy. Dr. Pizzini came to the United States for the Post-Graduate Periodontics program at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) where he obtained his certificate in Periodontology and Master of Science (MS) in dentistry. He was a former clinical assistant professor at the department of periodontics at West Virginia University
Michael Dinsio, MBA
Prior to founding Next Level Consultants, Michael spent a decade learning the business of dentistry through a banker’s eyes. In that time, he guided more than 200 dental office start ups and helped facilitate over 200 dental practice transitions. Through this journey, Michael found that his passion was helping dentists navigate the complex process of getting into ownership and crushing it as new practice owners.
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Trina Poulsen, RDH, BSDH
Trina Poulsen, RDH, BSDH is a Seattle native. She found her passion for Dentistry in high school as a dental assistant. She went on to pursue her AAS in 1989 and BSDH in Dental Hygiene in 2003. In 1993, Trina served as President of the Washington Dental Hygienists’ Association guiding the growth and success of the profession and has held many leadership roles. As SADHA Advisor she has mentored dental hygiene students and taught at Shoreline Community College Dental Hygiene Program. Trina is a trained facilitator in mindset, leadership and diversity and inclusion. In her 40 years in Dentistry, Trina’s influence includes clinician, educator, speaker, and Co-founder of Infinite Hygiene Consulting which provides continued education and practice management for dental professionals throughout the United States.
Dr. Art Dimarco, DMD
Art DiMarco, DMD has served as Director of the Regional Initiatives in Dental Education (RIDE) program at the University of Washington, School of Dentistry in Spokane, since 2006. Until his recent retirement from the department, he also served as Professor at EWU Dental Hygiene for more than 20 years. Having taught and practiced for almost three decades, Dr. DiMarco has presented at the PNDC in Seattle and Bellevue, the PDC in Vancouver, BC, the INDC in Spokane, the ISDA Annual Session in Boise, ADEA, and the Center for Life Long learning of the ADHA. He is co-author of a local anesthesia text, a chapter in a leading dental hygiene text, webinars, and numerous peer-reviewed articles. He also serves as a frequent peer reviewer for journals.
Sarah Borgida
Sarah Borgida is a Program Director with Arcora Foundation. Sarah leads the Foundation’s access to care and tribal initiatives, which include the nationally recognized and replicated Access to Baby and Child Dentistry (ABCD) program and the Baby Teeth Matter: Tribal Oral Health Collaborative. These initiatives and others have resulted in dramatic increases in dental care for children in Washington and beyond.
Sarah has experience in strategic and program development in a variety of sectors including health, early childhood, k -12 education, philanthropy, and social services. She has served as Program Officer with the Foundation for Early Learning (now Thrive Washington) and Chief Academic Officer at the Center for Native Education. Sarah holds a Master’s Degree in Educational Policy and Management from the University of Oregon.
Director, Children’s Programs and Tribal Partnerships, Arcora Foundation
Paula Quinn, BSDH
Paula comes to the dental world with an elaborate wealth of information on the importance of interoffice communication and working towards team goals. Her background and experiences, in and out of the dental practice, give her a unique skill set that brings value to each of her patients, and her mentoring, speaking, and consulting engagements.
Dr. David Carsten, DDS
David Carsten, DDS is a dentist anesthesiologist.
BS in Biochemistry from Washington State University
DDS is from the University of Washington
Anesthesiology Residency NYU Langone
6 publications in the scientific literature.
Award of Distinction in Continuing Education from the Academy of Dentistry International.
Assistant Professor in Hospital Dentistry at Oregon Health Sciences University
Course Director for Anesthesia and Sedation
ADA Steering Committee for the DLOSCE
Technical Advisory Group, CSG.org for the Interstate Dental and Hygiene Licensure Compact. Mentor of Tilikum Crossing Seminars OHSU
Past Chair of the Washington State Dental Commission
Chair of the Infection Control Committee
Chair of the EFDA Committee
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Santiago Valdez, RDH
Santiago Valdez, RDH of Snohomish, WA has almost 30 years in Dentistry. His career began in periodontics in the capacity of dental assistant and evolved into a career of over 21 years as a clinical Dental Hygienist. His passion for Dentistry has motivated him as a dental hygiene educator, clinician, speaker and now as the Co-Founder of Infinite Hygiene Consulting which provides continuing education and practice management for dental professionals throughout the United States. The Facebook group Washington State Dental Jobs with over 4k members was created by Santiago and his business partner as a way to help dental professionals network and connect to fill the needs of our communities.
Jessica Martin
Jessica Martin is the owner of Martin Management Consulting and co-owner of Martin Dental, a successful dental spa in Eau Claire, WI. Jessica is a licensed school psychologist and helps medical professionals understand why patients feel anxious or fear at the dentist and other medical appointments. Jessica has created strategies for dental offices to remove some of the most common barriers to dental care. She loves sharing ways to make the experience positive for every patient. Jessica has also been involved in leadership positions for two local networking organizations for the past 7 years. She has assisted 90+ business professionals thrive and be more successful.
Dr. Erin Elliott, DDS
Dr. Erin Elliott grew up in Southern California but went away to a small NAIA school in Western New York where she played collegiate soccer and graduated summa cum laude from Houghton College. After graduating Creighton Dental School in the top 5 in 2003, she settled in North Idaho to begin her general dentistry career. She has a special interest in DentalSleep Medicine and technology. She has lectured extensively on this topic and loves to help general dentists extend this life-saving service to their patients. She is an active member of her local American Dental Association, the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, and the American Academy of Dental Sleep Medicine. She teaches a 2 day Sleep Apnea Implementation Course with 3D-Dentists and Dr. Tarun Agarwal.
Samuel B. Low, DDS, MS, M.Ed
Samuel B. Low, D.D.S., M.S., M.Ed., Professor Emeritus, University of Florida, College of Dentistry; Associate faculty member of the Pankey Institute with 30 years of private practice experience in periodontics, lasers and implant placement. He is also a Diplomate of the American Board of Periodontology and past President of the American Academy of Periodontology. He is a current Board of Director of the Academy of Laser Dentistry. Dr. Low provides dentists and dental hygienists with the tools for successfully managing the periodontal patient in general and periodontal practices and is affiliated with the Florida Probe Corporation. He was selected “Dentist of the Year” by the Florida Dental Association, Distinguished Alumnus by the University of Texas Dental School, and the Gordon Christensen Lecturer Recognition Award. He is a Past President of the Florida Dental Association and past ADA Trustee.
Dr. Joel Berg, DDS
Dr. Laura Jordhen, MD
Dr. Laura Jordhen is a family physician with a passion for reconnecting medical and dental students, residents and professionals with the purpose and meaning of our work. Dr. Jordhen earned an MD from OHSU followed by her residency at the University of Wisconsin. She has practiced in the Portland/Vancouver area since 2005, with the exception of 2016-2020 when she and her family took the opportunity to live in Shanghai, China. She served as faculty for the United Family Hospital Family Medicine Fellowship Program where she continues to teach remotely. She is designing and teaching a course for Dental Residents at the OHSU with Dr. David Carsten exploring empathy and compassion in dental practice. She is also serves as Clinical Assistant Professor at the Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine of Washington State University in Vancouver, WA.
Joel Berg, DDS, MS is an industry-respected consultant, lecturer, author, and thought leader in dentistry. A board-certified pediatric dentist, Joel was President of the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (AAPD) from 2012 to 2013 and President of the American Academy of Esthetic Dentistry from 2018 to 2019. Joel is also the former Dean at the University of Washington School of Dentistry and was principal in the creation of a 26-chair, state-of-the-art facility that provides comprehensive oral health services to children. He continues to practice pediatric dentistry part-time in the Phoenix area, and stays connected to organized dentistry through his consulting business, industry research and published works, and various philanthropic roles. Joel is also the host of "Pedo Teeth Talk," a podcast that invites AAPD leaders, experts, and professionals in the field to talk about all things pediatric dentistry. The podcast takes a holistic approach to its coverage and its wide-ranging topics include the best infection control practices, behavioral management, how to manage your business online, innovative ideas for best practices, and discussions on policies and legislation that could affect pediatric dentistry. Given the popularity of "Pedo Teeth Talk," Joel hosts the AAPD-launched podcast series, "Newly Erupted," which targets pediatric dental residents and new practitioners. The topics are selected by a committee of young members of the profession.
Christine Taxin
A dental educator with over 40 years of experience in her field, Christine Taxin excels at explaining complex billing and health topics to diverse audiences. Taxin is an adjunct professor at the NYU Dental School, has taught at Harvard University, and other dental universities around the country. Her focuses include medical billing in dental practices and how to transform general dentistry practices into dental wellness centers.
She has published sixteen guidebooks and whitepapers for dental teams navigating the complexities of medical billing in dental practices. She has published articles in many trade publications, including Inside Dentistry, Dentistry IQ, and The Profitable Dentist.
A popular presenter a Dental Conferences around the country, Taxin has been one of Dentistry Today’s Top 100 Leaders in Dental Consulting for over ten years. She is a proud member of many organizations that deal with billing, wellness, oral systemic issues. By September 2020 Christine Taxin has successfully completed a working agreement with Q’Pro and the AMA to have certification for billing within the specialties of dental practices. They will be in modules to allow all to be able to become certified billers under the AMA for Sleep Apnea, Pedo Sleep, Sedation, TMD, Implants and Oral Surgery. The tests are now live on Q’Pro.com for dental team members who want to become credentialed billers.
Cindy Ishimoto
Experience matters: Cindy Ishimoto has coached, trained, and developed leaders for over 35 years, she knows how to be engaging and deliver high-quality team growth. Her passion lies in cultivating self-directed leaders at every level, giving them the tools to implement improvement and positive change within their organizations.
She focuses on helping organizations establish realistic systems that provide a better balance between serving customers, profitability, and positive professional morale.
Cindy is a well-known, highly sought-after international leadership coach and speaker with the ability to create passionate leaders, motivated teams, effective organizational communication, and a culture of growth and profitability.
Cindy has been named a Leader in Consulting by Dentistry Today from 2006-2023.
Her speaking lessons are more than just lectures; they offer key insights that have proven to provide business success on all levels, leadership growth, and strengthened team unity.
Get the keys you need to transform your practice, all delivered with Cindy Ishimoto’s truly unique outlook and enthusiastic energy.
Anne Nugent Guignon, MPH, RDH, CSP
Anne Nugent Guignon, RDH, MPH, CSP is a visionary thinker. Anne’s WHY began back in 1971. She simply wanted to know what worked best for clinicians and their clients. As her curiosity grew, so did her passion for sharing information.
Anne’s global thinking resulted in numerous accolades for mentoring, research, and guiding those in the healthcare and client services.
Anne a highly sought-after international speaker, prolific author, and RDH Magazine feature writer and a recognized expert on the oral microbiome, ergonomics, salivary dysfunction, cariology and erosive tooth wear, and employment law matters.
Despite her accomplishments, Anne’s clinician heart is always focused on making clinical practice better, easier, and more rewarding. In 2015 she was awarded the CSP, the National Speakers Association’s highest earned credential.
Dr. Justin Bhullar, DMD
Dr. Justin Bhullar (Bull-er) is a dentist, multi-practice owner and author of “High Performance Practice: Management, Marketing and Leadership” …he is also a contributing author of “Greatness 2018”, a book he wrote with ABCs Secret Millionaire James Malinchak and other successful entrepreneurs. He is the co-host of soon to be released High Performance Practice Podcast where they talk about everything from Leadership, mindset, relationships, wealth creation and the drivers of practice/business growth. Over the last 12+ years he has personally completed 20 dental office acquisitions, 6 start-ups and has helped multiple dental colleagues acquire, transition from, or start practices of their own. He loves to inspire, engage, and share knowledge with others and believes leadership, great habits, and consistent execution are the key to attaining your personal and professional goals.
Dr. Michael Tran
Dr. Michael Tran has an insatiable appetite for knowledge. It began with his education. First he graduated from Texas Tech University with two Bachelor degrees in Business Management and Spanish. After earning his MBA at Tech, he began his dental education. He completed his Doctor of Dental Surgery degree at Howard University in Washington, DC, and an Advanced Education in General Dentistry residency at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston came next.
Dr. Tran doesn’t do status quo. His commitment to ensuring he’s always able to offer patients the best care available in the industry today is backed up with action. Dr. Tran is a pioneer and leader in evolving digital dentistry. He teaches digital dentistry techniques and workflows with his 3D Implant Institute. Dr. Tran has now taught hundreds of other doctors how to surgically place implants. He’s now growing his peers while growing the FLOSS brand nationwide.
