James Wanamaker

James Wanamaker

Dr. James Wanamaker earned his Doctor of Dental Surgery degree from SUNY Buffalo School of Dental Medicine in 2016 with a concentration in pediatric dentistry.

While at Buffalo, he served in multiple roles in organized dentistry, including the National Chair of the Council on Advocacy for the American Student Dental Association (ASDA).

Following dental school, he then completed a General Practice Residency at SUNY Upstate Hospital and the Syracuse VA Hospital. He has completed additional training at the Dawson Academy, Invisalign, and surgical implant placement at the Brighterway Institute. Dr. Wanamaker is a partner in his dream private practice, Smiles of Skaneateles, located outside of Syracuse, NY.

Dr. Wanamaker began working with IgniteDDS as a 3rd-year dental student. Since then, he has spoken at dental schools and conferences across the country on interview skills and finding your ideal private practice.

He is heavily involved in organized dentistry on a local, state, and national level. Dr. Wanamaker currently serves as the Chair of the New Dentist Committee for the New York State Dental Association. In 2020 Dr. Wanamaker was inducted as a Fellow of the American College of Dentists.

Fellows have exemplified excellence through outstanding leadership and exceptional contributions to dentistry and society and only 3% of dentists are Fellows. Dr. Wanamaker resides in Upstate New York with his wife, Francesca, their young daughter, and Goldendoodle, Chewbacca.

dental photography

Why Dental Photography Is Essential in Modern Dental Practice

By: James Wanamaker, DDS – IgniteDDS Clinical Coach In my private practice centered on esthetics and function,…

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Variolink Esthetic System Review

Variolink Esthetic System Review

By: Dr. James Wanamaker When I became a dental practice owner, one of my goals was to…

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Direct Restorative Workflow Kit from Ivoclar

Systems & Simplicity: Two Words that Come to Mind When Working with the Direct Restorative Workflow Kit from Ivoclar

By: Dr. James Wanamaker I have been a fan of Ivoclar products since I was a student…

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Achieving the Ideal Shade for Complex Restorative Cases

By Dr. Kelley Brummett, DMD | May 14, 2025

By: Kelley Brummett, DMD This Topic Originally Appeared On PankeyGram.Org. Dr. Brummett granted permission for igniteDDS to share with our readers. Often we have cases where one shade from VITA guide doesn’t seem to match the case due to different shades of adjacent teeth. A situation occurred in my office when I was working with a…

Solving Workforce Challenges by Extending Careers

By Garrett Wilson | May 13, 2025

By: Garrett Wilson The dental industry has been navigating a complex workforce puzzle: how do we retain great people, care for current team members, and plan for the future? Much of the conversation rightly centers around mental and physical exhaustion and how to support team members who are feeling burnt out. We’ve seen innovative strategies…

You Can Have This But You Can’t Have That

By Dr. Eric Recker | May 12, 2025

By: Dr. Eric Recker Don’t take me back too far! I need that neck pillow. That’s too far. I can’t breathe. Are you going to dump me back off the chair? All said as the patient is reclined to 65 degrees. This is going to be a heck of a procedure. I am going to…

3 Benefits of Collaborating with an In-House Dental Lab 

By Stephen Malone DMD | May 7, 2025

By: Stephen Malone, DMD This Topic Originally Appeared On Pankeygram.Org. Dr. Malone granted permission for igniteDDS to share with our readers. Running a successful dental practice nowadays involves close collaboration with the dental lab. This is easily possible if you have the dental lab in-house because this simplifies the dentist-lab communication. Everybody can give their best…

Unveiling the Hidden Tactics of Dental Insurance Companies: How to Protect Your Practice and Your Patients

By Angela Holland | May 6, 2025

By: Angela Holland Dental insurance companies have long been criticized for their complex and sometimes opaque practices, especially when it comes to their Explanation of Benefits (EOB) documents. For both patients and dental practices, these documents can often be a source of confusion, frustration, and financial loss. Insurance companies, in their pursuit of profits, often…

QuickSplint: Predictable Diagnostics and Restorative Success 

By David Rice | April 30, 2025

By: PankeyGramTopic Originally Appeared on PankeyGram.Org, who granted igniteDDS permission to share with our readers. Temporary occlusal splints are a great chairside solution, with a wide range of applications in our practice. An easy and effective splint that can be customized for each patient is QuickSplint, it fits in the anterior teeth only, from canine…

We Can All Wear A Cape!

By Dr. Eric Recker | April 29, 2025

By: Dr. Eric Recker Monday morning 8 AM. First patient of the week. Maybe our mind is on what happened this past weekend or the crazy schedule we have in front of us. Maybe it is just spinning. Spinning with all the things we do and all the hats we wear as general dentists. What…

Help! My Dental Assistant Keeps Giving My Patients Dirty Glasses

By Ronda Holman | April 28, 2025

By: Ronda Holman It might seem like a small thing, but when a dental assistant hands a patient safety glasses that are smudged, dusty, or have splatter marks, it sends a loud message: “We don’t pay attention to the details.” In a clinical setting where cleanliness is everything, dirty safety glasses can instantly create doubt…

Rubber Dam Isolation: Maximizing Bond Strength to Enamel

By Christopher Mazzola, DDS | April 23, 2025

By: Christopher Mazzola, DDSTopic Originally Appeared on PankeyGram.org. Dr. Mazzola granted permission for igniteDDS to share with our readers. Advantages of Utilizing Rubber Dam  Rubber dam isolation has a lot of advantages to be used in dentistry, that are supported with many clinical studies. By making our everyday procedures easier, without having to worry about…

Why Updating UCR Fees Annually is Best Practice for Your Dental Practice

By Angela Holland | April 22, 2025

By: Angela Holland In any dental practice, one of the most critical components of financial health is the establishment and management of Usual, Customary, and Reasonable (UCR) fees. UCR fees are essentially the fees a dental practice charges for services based on what is typical for the area and within industry standards. These fees play…