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.
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,…
Variolink Esthetic System Review
By: Dr. James Wanamaker When I became a dental practice owner, one of my goals was to…
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…
Navigating Dental Practice Ownership: Rural vs. Urban Opportunities
By: Dr. Hannah Crowell Are you a dental professional considering taking the leap into practice ownership? One of the critical decisions you’ll face is choosing between a rural or urban area for your practice location. Each option comes with its own set of advantages and challenges. Exploring the pros and cons of buying a dental…
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 at the University at Buffalo School of Dental Medicine. I vividly remember touring their American headquarters in Amherst, NY as a third year and how impressed I was with their testing facility. Fast forward almost ten years later,…
How to Stabilize the Joints
By: Dr. Leonard A. Hess, DDSClinical Director, The Dawson AcademyThe Article Originally Appeared on TheDawsonAcademy.comLearn about Occlusion at TheDawsonAcademy.com If we have a symptomatic TMD patient and are trying to figure out, can we make this patient better or comfortable? How can we stabilize the joints? Go Back to the Complete Examination What does the examination…
Are You a “dentist” or a “Dentist”?
By: Todd Doobrow, CFP When patients come to your office, they know who they think you are. They assume you not only have an undergrad degree but continued your education for another four years and graduated from an accredited dental school. You might have even continued further to a GPR or residency program. You have…
Just Because You Can, Doesn’t Mean You Should
By: Dr. Savannah Craig In today’s fast-paced society, everyone is looking for one-stop shopping and dental patients are no exception. One of the reasons I chose to pursue a residency program after dental school, was to have a wider breadth of treatments that I felt comfortable offering my patients. Patients like being able to receive…
How Do You Know If You Achieved Centric Relation?
By: Dr. Leonard A. Hess, DDSClinical Director, The Dawson AcademyThe Article Originally Appeared on TheDawsonAcademy.comLearn about Occlusion at TheDawsonAcademy.com When we talk about utilizing bimanual manipulation as a way to get centric relation, one of the biggest misunderstandings we see is the tendency for dentists to think CR is achieved by forcing the jaw back…
Help…My Dental Assistant Wants More Money!
By: Ronda Holman Hi dear reader, my name is Ronda Holman and I have been sitting across from a dentist for a living for the last 25 years. I thought it might be time to make some written confessions as to what I have been guilty of over the years and how my dentist was…
Dentists: Why Should You Load Test the TMJs?
By: Dr. Leonard A. Hess, DDSClinical Director, The Dawson AcademyThe Article Originally Appeared on TheDawsonAcademy.com Properly loading the joints tells you several things about the root cause of some patients’ problems. This will also determine how functionally stable the patient is. Let’s start with the first item. 1. Indicate if the Joint is Healthy You’re going to…
The Secrets to Success: Advice from Dental Assistant Ronda Holman
Interviewer: Tanya Sue Maestas, DDSInterviewee: Ronda HolmanEdited By: Candy Velez – CRDH, BSDH In this interview, dental assistant Ronda Holman shares invaluable insights on the often-overlooked power of patience and communication in the dental office. The Importance of Patience In the dynamic realm of dentistry, Ronda Holman underscores the significance of patience for both dental…
Changing Vertical Dimension: When is it Safe?
By: Dr. Leonard A. Hess, DDSClinical Director, The Dawson AcademyThe Article Originally Appeared on TheDawsonAcademy.com If you follow The Dawson Academy protocols, altering the vertical dimension is going to be the exception rather than the rule. We can work with the vast majority of patients vertical dimension and still fulfill the five requirements for occlusal stability and get a…