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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When an associate dentist has questions, where do you find help?

By Bruce Bryen | October 12, 2021

An associate dentist will often have many questions after entering the dental practice, but where does one go for help?

Tips from Top Dentists on Dental School, Leadership, and More

By Alisa Johnson | October 8, 2021

Several dentists join forces in this article to give advice to their dental colleagues on everything from leadership to work-life balance.

What Makes a Good Dentist? Top Skills To Be the Best Dentist

By Katie Dumbell | October 4, 2021

skills to being the best dentist aren’t things you learn in a classroom, writes Dr. Katie Dumbell.

3 things to know about going back to dental meetings

By Dawn Patrick | September 26, 2021

COVID-19 forced meetings of all kinds, including those in the dental industry, to go virtual. However, in recent weeks, the door to in-person dental trade meetings has swung back open. I attended my first in-person dental meeting back in May as a speaker at the Montana Dental Association meeting. Since then, I’ve had the pleasure…

The new dentist’s job and the learning curve

By Bruce Bryen | September 17, 2021

By Bruce Bryen, CPA, CVA After the search is over and the new job has begun, it is time to make sure that learning is occurring with a timeline that is acceptable to both the dentist who was hired and to the owner who is hopefully mentoring the new associate. The skill sets that were…

3 reasons why the dental hiring crisis may soon subside

By Dawn Patrick | September 12, 2021

From Las Vegas to Orlando last week, here are the things we heard about the hiring crisis impacting so many dental practices.

New data shows how hiring crisis has grown in dental industry

By Dawn Patrick | September 3, 2021

how much the hiring crisis in dentistry has grown since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Lit leadership lessons: Let’s talk about perspective

By Amisha Singh | August 27, 2021

Why? It’s a question we often ask, but without perspective, we will never know the answer, writes Dr. Amisha Singh.

After dental school: Considerations for joining alternative types of practices

By Bruce Bryen | August 9, 2021

By Bruce Bryen, CPA, CVA Before graduating from dental school, the dental student is inundated with information about joining dental practices from all over the country. It is, of course, in many ways, a life-altering decision. The geographic environment, salary and benefits, and quality of life are just a few of the items being considered…

3 ways to avoid the biggest crisis in dentistry

By Dawn Patrick | August 2, 2021

All across the country, dental practices are facing a hiring crisis. Teams are being stretched thin because of openings within the staff directory, and it’s putting pressure on everyone in the practice. They feel the strain … and so does dentistry as a whole. But what if you could solve a problem before it ever…