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…
5 Tips to Quit a Dental Practice with Grace
There are times and places when we need to move on from a dental practice because it’s the healthy thing to do. Here’s how to do that … with grace.
Advice for Applying to a GPR / AEGD Program
By: Savannah Craig A dental residency program can provide valuable in-the-field experience for recent dental school graduates. Applying for residency programs is similar to applying to dental school in many ways. But first, you’ll need to choose which kind of residency to pursue. Most residences fall into two broad categories: GPR and AEGD. What’s the…
What To Do the Summer Before Dental School
By: Savannah Craig Congratulations on your acceptance to dental school! What an incredible accomplishment! You’ve put in the time and effort, and finally, it has paid off with an offer letter from a dental school. You have probably spent the last several years working jobs, volunteering, and gaining new skills to make your dental school…
Imposter Syndrome as a Dental Student
By: Savanah Craig Imposter syndrome is an experience of believing you are not as competent as others perceive you to be. Imposter syndrome is common in high-achievers, and dental students are no exception. I believe that the hyper-competitive nature of dental school acceptance makes us, as students, even more likely to experience imposter syndrome. Imposter…
What I Wish I Knew Before Starting Dental School
By: Savanah Craig Before “Day in the Life” Instagram posts, there wasn’t a lot of information about what being in Dental School was like. I had spent many hours shadowing dentists for my application, but none of them ever talked about their four years of school. I felt confident that I could become a great…
Dental Patient Communication: Learning to meet your patients where they are
By: Savanah Craig One of the biggest challenges I face while beginning my career in dentistry is patient communication. I have spent the last 4 years learning a whole new language of technical jargon to be able to communicate with my colleagues and read research articles. However, much of my day is spent in communication…
How Much Should You Pay For Malpractice Insurance?
By: Dr. Luke Shapiro I just got off the phone with my insurance sales rep and they informed me that it would now cost me almost $11,000 to have malpractice insurance in New York City! What?! I thought I misunderstood. Is it even legal to increase malpractice by this much? Turns out it is. They…
Dental Mentorship: Benefits + How to Find One
By: Savanah Craig If you attend enough ASDA events, you’ll hear about the importance of finding a mentor to help support you on your journey towards a career in dentistry. However, there isn’t much explanation about how to find a mentor or why it’s so important. How to Find a Dentist Mentor Here are steps…
How to build your brand and reputation as a new dentist
By: Jennifer Murphy Everyone wants to be liked and we all want to be thought of in a positive light, especially when it comes to us as dentists and our dental practices. How does a dental school graduate entering into a whole new world develop that? How can a new and/or young dentist build a…
DSO or OSO: What Every Dentist Should Know
By: Bruce Bryen Once out of dental school, you begin looking at various choices regarding how to approach the job market. Knowing which decision to make may develop into a lifelong process, especially if the idea is to be an owner/operator of a solo or partnership practice. The reason for this statement is that DSOs…