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…
Problem-Solving vs Listening: When We Get it Wrong
By: Julie Kellogg I walked into the treatment room and greeted my patient. He said, “You know that tooth we are going to work on? The gums have gotten really irritated around it.” Hmmm, I thought, that seems odd. It’s not what I would expect. To my patient, I said, “Let’s take a look.” He…
Choices for the Associate Dentist with Job Opportunities
By: Bruce Bryen In today’s world of dentistry, there are so many more choices for the associate than in years past when most dental practices were owned by a solo dentist or partnership owned. Let’s take a look at the job opportunities in today’s marketplace. Job Opportunities for the Associate Dentist For today’s associates, some…
Acquisition of a Minority Interest in a Dental Practice
By: Bruce Bryen As a dental school graduate looking for an opportunity to begin work as an associate dentist is one of the most important matters as you search for the best job available. That job would offer the best compensation package, benefits, and potentially a timeline for the acquisition of the dental practice for…
Orthodontic Aligners vs. Restorative
By: Dr. Chad Duplantis, D.D.S., F.A.G.D
Are Cavities Genetic?
By: Dr. Julie Kellogg You walk into the treatment room and introduce yourself to your newest patient. “Doc, I always get cavities. I guess I inherited soft teeth from my mother.” How do you respond to this? Are Cavities Genetic? The top result of a google search says this, “About 60% of the risk for…
Pros & Cons of Joining a DSO
By: Bruce Bryen The good, the bad, and the ugly when joining a DSO as an associate dentist. As if an opportunity for employment as an associate dentist is not scary enough for the young dental school graduate, now DSOs are actively pursuing them with some terrific offers of compensation and clinical opportunities. They are…
Why This Young Dentist Went With a DSO
By: Hannah Crowell Dental students are not encouraged to pursue a career with a DSO (dental support organization). In fact, they are most actively discouraged to sign with one. You’ll hear things like, To be fair – these statements could more accurately be said about dental schools. My Story Never have I felt so burnt…
Ranking the States with the Best and Worst Dental Health 2023
Starting children off right with good oral health habits (including proper brushing and flossing) can help ensure they have the best chance of a lifetime of excellent dental health. So which states are doing the best job of helping their children get their lives off on the right foot when it comes to proper oral…
Communicating in Difficult Situations: Part 2
By: Savanah Craig Communicating with patients can be more challenging than doing dentistry at times I’ve noticed that some types of patient encounters happen more often than not. While I don’t believe that you can win over every single patient, I think in certain circumstances we can help to redirect some of these patients’ concerns…
Are Implants the Only Option?
By: Dr. Chad Duplantis, D.D.S., F.A.G.D