
Dental Digest Podcast with Dr. Melissa Seibert
The Dental Digest podcast is a show dedicated to discussing the latest trends, topics, and innovations in the field of dentistry. The podcast was created and is hosted by Dr. Melissa Seibert, a practicing dentist, and features interviews with leading experts in the field of dentistry, including dentists, researchers, educators, and industry professionals.
Topics covered on the show range from clinical techniques and technology to practice management and marketing strategies, with a focus on providing actionable insights and practical advice for dental professionals at all stages of their careers.
The Dental Digest podcast is available on all major podcast platforms and is a valuable resource for dental professionals looking to stay up-to-date on the latest trends and best practices in the field of dentistry.
Latest episodes

Nov 5, 2024 • 32min
243. Dr. Wally Renne - Is 3D Printing the Future?
Dr. Wally Renne, founder of the MOD Institute and expert in digital dentistry, dives into the transformative impact of 3D printing on dental practices. He discusses advancements in 3D printed materials and the challenges of achieving optimal aesthetics. The conversation covers innovative techniques for improving denture creation, leveraging digital workflows for enhanced fitting and comfort. Renne also addresses the significance of jaw motion tracking in personalizing treatments, showcasing how technology reshapes the future of dentistry.

Oct 28, 2024 • 32min
242. Sam Alawie, MDT - Don't Get Fired by Your Lab Technician
Join Journal Club Download my free guide to Internal Bleaching PDF Follow @dental_digest_podcast Instagram Connect on Instagram: @dr.melissa_seibert on Instagram DOT - Use the Code DENTALDIGEST for 10% off Sam Alawie completed his Master Dental Technician degree in Brussels, Belgium in 1994. He migrated to the United States in 2003 and opened his own full service dental laboratory in Beverly Hills, California. Sam is well versed on the importance of technical clinical communications and their implementations for successful case planning and patient satisfaction. He is a keen and avid supporter and member of many study groups. He instructed various hands-on crown and bridge courses and hosted presentations throughout Europe and the United States. In 2012, Sam opened a state-of-the-art educational facility, Oral Design Beverly Hills which offers a spacious venue where dental professionals and students can come together to advance their knowledge, practice their craft, and exchange ideas; offering a wide range of training programs, study groups, and continuing education courses, including advanced classes with world renowned dental specialists. In 2020 Mr. Willi Geller of the Oral Design Foundation based in Switzerland invited Sam to be an active member of the Oral Design Family.

Oct 21, 2024 • 28min
241. Dr. Wally Renne - 3D Printing in Dentistry
Join Journal Club Download my free guide to Internal Bleaching PDF Follow @dental_digest_podcast Instagram Connect on Instagram: @dr.melissa_seibert on Instagram DOT - Use the Code DENTALDIGEST for 10% off Dr. Walter Renne is the founder of the MOD Institute and leads all learning, innovation and research initiatives at the organization. He is a recognized global key opinion leader for renowned dental technology companies including Planmeca and Ivoclar Vivadent. He also previously served as a Professor and Assistant Dean of Innovation and Digital Dentistry at the Medical University of South Carolina. As the assistant director for the digital dentistry residency program, he has won several national and regional awards for his efforts both pre-clinically and clinically. He is also an active dental researcher and has published over 30 studies on scan and milling accuracy using various systems. Dr. Renne also has several patents including a patent for a platform of long-term antimicrobial dental materials.

Oct 14, 2024 • 45min
240. Dr. Vanessa Cavalli Gobbo - How Safe Is Bleaching?
Join Journal Club Download my free guide to Internal Bleaching PDF Follow @dental_digest_podcast Instagram Connect on Instagram: @dr.melissa_seibert on Instagram DOT - Use the Code DENTALDIGEST for 10% off About Dr. Vanessa Cavalli Gobbo Bachelor (DDS) in Dentistry from the University of Campinas (1999), MSc (2003), Specialist in Operative Dentistry (2003), PhD (2007) and Post-Doctorate in Dental Clinics (2014), at Piracicaba Dental School, University of Campinas. Developed part of the PhD research at the University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill (2006), and participated in the Post-Graduation Program of the University of Taubaté (2007-2011) and was a faculty at São Leopoldo Mandic Dental Research Center (2014-2016). In 2016, began the activities as a faculty, in the Department of Restorative Dentistry, Piracicaba Dental School (Unicamp). The research areas include the following topics: dental bleaching and its effect on the enamel and dentin; penetration of bleaching agents in the pulp chamber and analysis and performance of direct and indirect restorative materials. Has experience in mechanical testing, chemical and morphological analysis. (Source: Lattes Curriculum)

Oct 2, 2024 • 33min
239. Sam Alawie, MDT - Creating an Esthetic Anterior Implant Crown
Join Journal Club Download my free guide to Internal Bleaching PDF Follow @dental_digest_podcast Instagram Connect on Instagram: @dr.melissa_seibert on Instagram DOT - Use the Code DENTALDIGEST for 10% off Sam Alawie completed his Master Dental Technician degree in Brussels, Belgium in 1994. He migrated to the United States in 2003 and opened his own full service dental laboratory in Beverly Hills, California. Sam is well versed on the importance of technical clinical communications and their implementations for successful case planning and patient satisfaction. He is a keen and avid supporter and member of many study groups. He instructed various hands-on crown and bridge courses and hosted presentations throughout Europe and the United States. In 2012, Sam opened a state-of-the-art educational facility, Oral Design Beverly Hills which offers a spacious venue where dental professionals and students can come together to advance their knowledge, practice their craft, and exchange ideas; offering a wide range of training programs, study groups, and continuing education courses, including advanced classes with world renowned dental specialists. In 2020 Mr. Willi Geller of the Oral Design Foundation based in Switzerland invited Sam to be an active member of the Oral Design Family.

Sep 23, 2024 • 1h 6min
238. Dr. Richard Niederman - Sealing Over Caries?
Join Journal Club Download my free guide to Internal Bleaching PDF Follow @dental_digest_podcast Instagram Connect on Instagram: @dr.melissa_seibert on Instagram DOT - Use the Code DENTALDIGEST for 10% off Dr. Richard Niederman is professor and chair, Department of Epidemiology & Health Promotion at New York University College of Dentistry, and Co-Director of the World Health Organization Collaborating Center for Quality-improvement, Evidence-based Dentistry (QED). He graduated magna cum laude in 1976 from the Harvard School of Dental Medicine where he also received his periodontal specialty training. He received certificate training in Evidence-Based Medicine at Oxford University in 1996. He is the founding USA editor of the journal Evidence-Based Dentistry; co-author of the book Evidence-based Dentistry, and author of more than 100 peer reviewed scientific articles. NIH, PCORI, CMS, and foundations support his current work in urban New York and rural New Hampshire, and his prior work in urban Boston, and rural Colorado, Hawaii, Kansas, and Maine. He has also collaborated on programs in Argentina, Brazil, and Colombia. His work, over the last 15 years, focuses on creation, dissemination and implementation of community-based caries prevention programs. This now has evolved to a program of SAFE Dentistry (Safe Aerosol Free Emergent Dentistry). These bring primary and secondary preventive care to people, rather than people to care.

Sep 15, 2024 • 48min
237. Dr. Jed Best - Pediatric Dentistry & Pediatric Dental Materials
Join Journal Club Download my free guide to Internal Bleaching PDF Follow @dental_digest_podcast Instagram Connect on Instagram: @dr.melissa_seibert on Instagram DOT - Use the Code DENTALDIGEST for 10% off In the corridors of academia, Jed Best, DDS, MS (ADL ’72, DEN ’79) has emerged as a luminary whose passion for science and technology has remained steadfast, guiding his path through the ever-evolving landscape of dentistry. Armed with a BA in psychology from CWRU, Dr. Best was pursuing PhD programs in neuroscience when CWRU extended an invitation to its dental school, altering the trajectory of his journey. Yet, even amidst the transition, his dedication to the pursuit of knowledge remained unwavering and he has emerged as an authority in the world of dental technology and materials. Most recently, Dr. Best was interviewed in the March 2024 issue of Inside Dentistry regarding the benefits of glass ionomer over other dental restorative materials. After earning his Master of Science in Pediatric Dentistry from the University of Minnesota, Dr. Best turned down a faculty position at CWRU to follow his then girlfriend and now wife, Wendy Freedman, Esq. (WRC ’73) to her work in New York City. Since then, Dr. Best has been a part-time faculty member at Columbia University for 45 years and served as the pediatric dentist at Sloan Kettering for 12 years where he specialized in treating bone marrow transplant patients. Dr. Best ran his own pediatric practice for 41 years and has served as a past OCE examiner for the American Board. Presently, Dr. Best is one of the section editors of the Journal of Pediatric Dentistry and holds academic appointments at Columbia University College of Dental Medicine and the University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Dentistry. At the invitation of Dr. Gerald Ferretti, Dr. Best has also been serving his alma mater as a Clinical Professor at Case Western Reserve School of Dental Medicine since 2011. Dr. Best is board certified in Pediatric Dentistry and is a Past President of the College of Diplomates of the American Board of Pediatric Dentistry and Past Chairman of the Foundation of the College of Diplomates. His multifaceted contributions to the field have earned him recognition as a Fellow in the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry and both the International and American College of Dentists. Amidst the achievements, Dr. Best remains grounded, attributing his success to the mentors and peers who shaped his journey. He expresses gratitude to former Dean Thomas DeMarco, Dr. John Gerstenmaier, Dr. Larry Fox and of course, current Dean Dr. Kenneth Chance. As a student, Dr. Best said he was always able to talk to the Dean and other department chairs whenever he needed to, and the Dean and the school supported his effort to attempt both a masters in biomedical engineering and a doctor of dental surgery degree at the same time. Dr. Best’s commitment to giving back to his alma mater echoes the spirit of gratitude and camaraderie that defined his formative years. Dr. Best says of his class, “We had so much fun in dental school. That’s why I come back to teach and support the school. I don’t think students at other schools had as much fun. And I always feel appreciated here.” In addition to Dr. Best’s expertise in glass ionomers, he has much to share about the use of AI in caries diagnosis, the dangers of blue light, and the potential hazards of air-powered instruments. In the labyrinth of innovation, Dr. Best has become a well regarded and sought after mentor and coach guiding the next generation of dental professionals.

Sep 6, 2024 • 34min
236. Dr. John Burgess - Root Canal Therapy Alternatives
John Burgess Obituary Join Journal Club Download my free guide to Internal Bleaching PDF Follow @dental_digest_podcast Instagram Connect on Instagram: @dr.melissa_seibert on Instagram DOT - Use the Code DENTALDIGEST for 10% off Dr. John O. Burgess is a graduate of Emory University School of Dentistry. He received his M.S. in Biomedical Sciences from the University of Texas Health Science Center in Houston, Texas, completed a one year General Practice Residency and a two year General Dentistry Residency. Currently Dr. Burgess is the assistant Dean for Clinical Research at the University of Alabama at Birmingham as well as Director of the Graduate Biomaterials Program. He has served as a military consultant in general dentistry to the Air Force Surgeon General. He received certification from the American Board of Dentistry and is a diplomat of the Federal Services Board of General Dentistry. He is a member of the American Academy of Esthetic Dentistry, The Academy of Restorative Dentistry, the American Dental Association, the American and International Association for Dental Research, and the Academy of Operative Dentistry. Dr. Burgess is a fellow of the Academy of Dental Materials and the American College of Dentists. A prolific researcher, Dr. Burgess has authored more than 400 articles, abstracts and textbook chapters and currently receives research funding from federal and industry sources. He is a reviewer for four dental journals and is a member of the advisory board for the Dental Advisor and the Editorial Board for Inside Dentistry. He is a past chair of the Biomaterials Section of the American Association for Dental Schools and has served on the Executive Board for the American Association for Dental Research. Currently he is a member of the American Dental Associationâs Council on Scientific Affairs and a member of two ADA committees for specification development for materials and devices. He is active in clinical evaluations of dental materials and is an investigator on clinical protocols evaluating adhesives, ceramic restoratives, fluoride releasing materials, low shrinkage posterior composites and impression materials. Dr. Burgess lectures extensively nationally and internationally and has presented more than 900 continuing education courses. Dr. Burgess is married to a wonderful lady, Patricia. They now reside in Birmingham, AL.

Aug 28, 2024 • 40min
235. Dr. John Burgess - Bioactive Materials and Glass Ionomer
John Burgess Obituary Join Journal Club Download my free guide to Internal Bleaching PDF Follow @dental_digest_podcast Instagram Connect on Instagram: @dr.melissa_seibert on Instagram DOT - Use the Code DENTALDIGEST for 10% off Dr. John O. Burgess is a graduate of Emory University School of Dentistry. He received his M.S. in Biomedical Sciences from the University of Texas Health Science Center in Houston, Texas, completed a one year General Practice Residency and a two year General Dentistry Residency. Currently Dr. Burgess is the assistant Dean for Clinical Research at the University of Alabama at Birmingham as well as Director of the Graduate Biomaterials Program. He has served as a military consultant in general dentistry to the Air Force Surgeon General. He received certification from the American Board of Dentistry and is a diplomat of the Federal Services Board of General Dentistry. He is a member of the American Academy of Esthetic Dentistry, The Academy of Restorative Dentistry, the American Dental Association, the American and International Association for Dental Research, and the Academy of Operative Dentistry. Dr. Burgess is a fellow of the Academy of Dental Materials and the American College of Dentists. A prolific researcher, Dr. Burgess has authored more than 400 articles, abstracts and textbook chapters and currently receives research funding from federal and industry sources. He is a reviewer for four dental journals and is a member of the advisory board for the Dental Advisor and the Editorial Board for Inside Dentistry. He is a past chair of the Biomaterials Section of the American Association for Dental Schools and has served on the Executive Board for the American Association for Dental Research. Currently he is a member of the American Dental Associationâs Council on Scientific Affairs and a member of two ADA committees for specification development for materials and devices. He is active in clinical evaluations of dental materials and is an investigator on clinical protocols evaluating adhesives, ceramic restoratives, fluoride releasing materials, low shrinkage posterior composites and impression materials. Dr. Burgess lectures extensively nationally and internationally and has presented more than 900 continuing education courses. Dr. Burgess is married to a wonderful lady, Patricia. They now reside in Birmingham, AL.

Aug 21, 2024 • 53min
234. Dr. Stephanie Tran - Regenerative Endodontics
Join Journal Club Download my free guide to Internal Bleaching PDF Follow @dental_digest_podcast Instagram Connect on Instagram: @dr.melissa_seibert on Instagram DOT - Use the Code DENTALDIGEST for 10% off Dr. Stephanie Tran is an endodontist who is passionate about endodontic education and helping patients relieve their dental pain while helping them maintain their teeth. Born in Connecticut and raised in California, Dr. Tran completed her undergraduate studies at the University of the Pacific and went on to receive her D.D.S. at the University of the Pacific, Arthur A. Dugoni School of Dentistry in San Francisco, California. To further her education in dentistry, she moved to New York to complete a General Practice Residency program at SUNY Stony Brook University Medical Center, where she became experienced in managing advanced dental cases, trauma, and complex surgeries. After several years building her comprehensive dentistry background as a general dentist, Dr. Tran then decided to pursue her passion for endodontics. She completed her post-graduate endodontics specialty residency at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center, where she served as Chief Resident of the program. She is an experienced clinician who is trained in contemporary advanced endodontic techniques, microscopic surgical and nonsurgical endodontic treatment, and management of traumatic injuries. Dr. Tran provides endodontic treatment for both adults and pediatric patients in private practice, serving the New York City and Long Island, NY regions to help patients treat dental disease and save their teeth. She is also passionate about endodontic education and lectures both nationally and internationally to share her enthusiasm for endodontics with other clinicians along with posting on her social media @her_holiness_the_pulp. In her free time, Dr. Tran enjoys traveling, snorkeling, exploring NYC’s many restaurants and museums, cooking, and going to the beach with her dog. Education University of the Pacific — B. A. 2012 University of the Pacific Arthur A. Dugoni School of Dentistry — D. D. S. 2012 State University of New York at Stony Brook — Certificate of General Practice Residency, 2013 University of Tennessee Health Science Center: College of Dentistry — Certificate of Endodontics
Remember Everything You Learn from Podcasts
Save insights instantly, chat with episodes, and build lasting knowledge - all powered by AI.