Dr. Edwin A. McDonald III received his Bachelor of Science degree in Chemistry and Economics from Midwestern State University. He earned his DDS degree from the University of Texas Dental Branch at Houston. Dr. McDonald has completed extensive training in dental implant dentistry through the University of Florida Center for Implant Dentistry. He has also completed extensive aesthetic dentistry training through various programs including the Seattle Institute, The Pankey Institute and Spear Education. Mac is a general dentist in Plano Texas. His practice is focused on esthetic and restorative dentistry. He is a visiting faculty member at the Pankey Institute. Mac also lectures at meetings around the country and has been very active with both the Dallas County Dental Association and the Texas Dental Association. Currently, he is a student in the Naveen Jindal School of Business at the University of Texas at Dallas pursuing a graduate certificate in Executive and Professional Coaching. With Dr. Joel Small, he is co-founder of Line of Sight Coaching, dedicated to helping healthcare professionals develop leadership and coaching skills that improve the effectiveness, morale and productivity of their teams.
Mentoring the Next Generation of Dentists: Your Legacy Matters
By: Edwin A. McDonald, DDS This topic originally appeared on PankeyGram.org. Dr. McDonald granted permission for igniteDDS to…
4 Promises of Leadership Development That Will Transform Your Dental Career
By: Dr. Edwin “Mac” McDonald The development of leadership competencies is about developing yourself. As you look…
The Transition to Dental Practice Ownership
By: Ronetta Sartor There are a lot of options to pursue in a career after dental school, but one of the major decisions you’ll have to consider is the possibility of owning your own practice. Deciding whether you want to own a business is a big decision in itself, and there are several ways to…
The Importance of a Transition Manager
By: John Wloderak Managing your practice is essential to good dentistry; entering the marketplace to establish your brand, managing growth, and finding an eventual exit strategy can all be a challenge. But you shouldn’t go through the process alone. There are plenty of qualified individuals who make it their job to help you through every…
Burnout: How to Complete Your Stress Cycle as a Dentist
By: Savanah Craig Burnout is a hot topic. It is especially prevalent for those who are high achievers, in helping professions or have a caretaking role. As a dentist, I find myself identifying with each of those categories. After experiencing burnout in dental school, I have been determined to find resources and strategies to prevent…
Valentine’s Day Gift Ideas for The Dental Professional
By: Lucas Shapiro Tired of giving the same old gift or chocolate and flowers to the people that matter most in your life for Valentine’s Day? Everyone does enjoy chocolate and that’s totally fine as long as it’s in moderation and you brush and floss afterward. IgniteDDS has created a Valentine’s Dental Gift Guide to…
Dentistry as Public Health
By: Mohammed Hammoud I’m Mohammed Hammoud, a third-year student at the LECOM School of Dentistry with a passion for dentistry as an issue of public health and social well-being. Before Dental School Before dental school, I worked with a public health organization and shadowed a dentist running a clinic in South Africa. It was a…
Geographic Success and the Transition to the Real World of Dentistry
By: Cory Ball You just got your final faculty check for a restorative appointment in the clinic. Your patient is thrilled to finally leave the dental school after a three-hour appointment to fix a cavity. Yes, that’s right. One filling. 4DO. You’re an early D3 dental student and this is among the first dozen or…
Communicating in Difficult Situations: Part 1
By: Savanah Craig If you work in the dental profession long enough, you’ll encounter patients who might get labeled as difficult for some of their requests in a dental chair. These annoyances range from refusing to swallow their own saliva, questioning the need for radiographs, or refusing fluoride treatment. Many dentists, hygienist, and dental assistants…
General Dentist vs. Dental Specialist
By: Dr. Cory Ball 12 years of grade school, 4 years of undergraduate studies, maybe a master’s program, and 4 years of dental school. Now you are debating on doing more school? Do you want to be a general dentist or go on to do a specialty in orthodontics, oral surgery, pediatrics, endodontics, periodontics, etc?…
New Dentist: Your First Paycheck Arrives, Now What?
By: Dr. Cory Ball Dental school is a busy time for most aspiring clinicians. Between studying for courses, practicing in preclinic, then managing the patient pool in the final years, most students have a tough time finding additional hours in a day to have a part-time job to make money. And those students who do have…
Don’t Look Back, Look Forward to Paying Off Dental School Student Loans
By: Dr. Cory Ball The average student loan debt for a graduating dental student in 2020 was over $300,000. During school, students can easily fall into a mindset of forgetting about the loans and focusing on other things. The problem with that is when the time comes to start making payments, it can be overwhelming…