Curiosity Revived the Cat: How a Sense of Wonder Can Revive Your Career            

Saturday, September 27, 2025

11:00 AM - 1:00 PM

Credits: 2

COURSE DESCRIPTION: 

It's time to break free from those chains and unleash the power of our curiosity! Sure, as kids, we were all curious little explorers, but as we aged, society conditioned us to believe our curiosity could lead to trouble. So we stopped questioning and just went through the motions, sinking into the monotony of "getting it done." But let's be real: that's when we lose sight of ourselves, our passion, and our connection to our profession, teams, and patients. Well, no more! It's time to rekindle that natural sense of awe and wonder that got us here in the first place! In this course, we will delve into various techniques to manage stress, communicate effectively in challenging scenarios, use motivational interviewing techniques, and more. We will travel down the five pathways and explore ourselves, profession, education, patients, and team. By tapping into our inherent sense of wonder, we'll not only ignite our passion for our work but also enhance the connection with our patients, team, and ourselves. So come along and discover how curiosity will revive you…just like the cat!

OBJECTIVES:

  1. Recognize the importance of mindset and how it impacts our thoughts, behaviors, and ultimately our success
  2. Assess the various stress outlets and how they lead to better overall well-being
  3. Identify actionable steps to ‘level up’ your dental career
  4. Analyze the power of “Why” as it relates to the patient experience
  5. Apply diverse communication frameworks that foster confidence in patient and team interactions

SPEAKER: Amanda Hill

 

Amanda Hill, BSDH, RDH, CDIPC, is committed to providing education that is accurate, accessible, and fun! From coast to coast, her speaking programs attract and delight audiences with her infectious enthusiasm and compelling content. In addition to her monthly column for Dentistry IQ, Amanda is frequently a contributor to industry publications such as RDH Magazine, Inside Dental Hygiene, Infection Control Today, Dentistry Today, and Dr. Bicuspid (where she received recognition for the most-read article of 2020). A self-proclaimed Waterline Warrior, Amanda is passionate about infection control. She is the recipient of ADS’s Emerging Infection Control Leader Award (2022). She is a member of the advisory boards for RDH magazine, Dentistry IQ, and ADS’s Infection Control in Practice Editorial Review Board. She is an educator for the nation’s largest dental job board, DentalPost.net. Growing up in and then marrying into the military, Amanda has experienced life and dentistry all over the world. She is a lifelong learner who is passionate about staying abreast of the latest clinical developments within the industry. Awards: HuFriedy Golden Scaler Award (1996), ProEdge Educator of the Year (2021), ADS Emerging Infection Control Leader (2022).


 

The speaker has a financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with the corporate organization offering financial support or grant monies for this continuing dental education program. The speaker is a consultant for ProEdge Dental Water Labs, Perio Protect, DentalPost, Dove Dental PDT, Parkell. The speaker has received honorarium from Curaden, Zirc, GC America, Safco, and Kettenbach.

The VDA Team does not have any financial arrangements/affiliations to disclose relating to the content of this presentation.

This course is sponsored by: 

Elevate Oral Care

The Virginia Dental Association is an ADA CERP-recognized provider.

ADA CERP is a service of the American Dental Association to assist dental professionals in identifying quality providers of continuing dental education. ADA CERP does not approve or endorse individual courses or instructors, nor does it imply acceptance of credit hours by boards of dentistry. The Virginia Dental Association designates each activity with the noted CE credits. Please refer to the description of each activity for the number of CE credits. The VAPD continuing education activities have been planned and implemented in accordance with the standards of the ADA Continuing Education Recognition Program (ADA CERP) through joint efforts between VAPD and VDA. Concerns or complaints about a CE provider may be directed to the provider or to ADA CERP at ADA.org/CERP.