I’m a dental student at LECOM SDM with a passion for merging the worlds of business and medicine.
With years of experience in dropshipping and marketing, I bring an entrepreneurial spirit to my dental journey, constantly seeking innovative ways to enhance patient care.
As a key orientation leader for igniteDDS—a program dedicated to guiding and empowering new dental students through hands-on learning, mentorship, and leadership development—I have the privilege of shaping the next generation of dental professionals.
Beyond dentistry, I’m deeply passionate about fitness and nutrition, believing that a healthy lifestyle is the cornerstone of success in both personal and professional endeavors.
Endo Diagnosis: High-Yield Tips That Actually Matter
By: Michael Eid Read more guides on Endodontics by Michael Eid: Endo diagnosis isn’t about memorizing tests….
Endo Made Simple Part 3: Obturation
By: Michael Eid Missed Parts 1 & 2? Check Them Out Here: Step 1: Final Canal Check High-Yield…
Endo Made Simple Part 2: Shaping, Cleaning, & Irrigation
By: Michael Eid Missed Endo Made Simple Part 1? Check it out first here. Once the canals…
Endo Made Simple Part 1: Caries, Locating Canals, & Initial Access
By: Michael Eid Before you can shape and clean, you have to get the tooth ready, find…
Why You’ll Struggle Getting Patency
The hardest part of doing a root canal, in my opinion, is achieving patency. Once I get…
Deep Marginal Elevation: What It Is, Why It Matters, & How to Learn the Basics
By: Michael Eid Your first deep marginal elevation (DME) will test every bit of patience you have. The…
Tofflemire vs. Palodent: Why Your Contacts Will Suck…at First
By: Michael Eid Your first few Class II restorations will probably have open contacts, flat contours, or a…
Why Your First Block Will Fail & Why That’s OK!
By: Michael Eid Your first mandibular block probably won’t work — and that’s part of the process….
Learning to Talk Teeth: Why Communication is Your Most Important Skill in Dentistry
By: Michael Eid Dental school will teach you how to perform basic dentistry—but one thing that often…
Lessons Learned From Listening to Different Preceptors as a D4
By: Michael Eid One of the hardest parts of dental school isn’t the hand skills or the…
Stop Choosing Sides: The Secret Ingredient for Next-Gen Dentistry Is Fusion
By: Candy Velez, CRDH, BSDH, IgniteDDS Dental Hygiene Coach For a long time, dentistry has lived in two very different worlds. On one end, you have corporate dentistry — highly structured, efficient, protocol-driven, and focused on numbers. On the other end, you have private practice — often rooted in relationships, autonomy, and heart, but sometimes…
Advancing Implant Dentistry Through Digital Precision
By: Lee Culp, CDTThis article originally appeared on PankeyGram.org. igniteDDS was granted permission to share with our readers. The advancements in digital dentistry have redefined implantology, making it faster, more predictable, and highly precise. Traditional workflows relied heavily on physical impressions, wax-ups, and manual adjustments, often requiring multiple appointments and increasing the risk of inaccuracies….
Why the Money Isn’t Showing Up: Part 3
Building Financial Accountability Without MicromanagingDid you miss Part 2? Catch up on Why the Money Isn’t Showing Up, Part 2 By: Dawn Patrick, COO and Dental Business Strategy Coach, IgniteDDS Here’s the balance every dentist wants: “I want accountability — not hovering.” Good systems do exactly that. 1. Ownership vs. Delegation You can delegate tasks….
The Tip Of The Iceberg
By: Eric Recker You get that call. Again. Lately, it feels like it’s every week. Your hygienist isn’t coming in because of a migraine, a sick kid, another illness, a family emergency, a last-minute appointment they forgot to tell you about, or some other vague reason. You look at your schedule and realize you have…
How Dentistry Affects the People You Love: Part 3
The Guilt Dental Professionals Feel Toward Their Partners and Families By: Dr. Sable Muntean Guilt is a common, yet often unspoken, challenge for dental professionals. It creeps in when you miss family events, work long hours, or feel emotionally unavailable at home. Over time, this guilt can quietly affect your mental health and strain your…
Oral Appliance Therapy for Sleep-Disordered Breathing
By: Mark T. Murphy, DDS This article originally appeared on PankeyGram.Org. Dr. Murphy granted permission for igniteDDS to share with our readers. Dentists are in a unique position to recognize the critical role sleep plays in systemic health. Research has confirmed that untreated sleep apnea significantly increases the risk of: With more consumer wearables tracking sleep…
Top 5 Mistakes New Dentists Make When Buying Their First Practice & How to Avoid Them
By: Dr. David Rice Buying your first dental practice is one of the most exciting — and daunting — decisions you’ll ever make. When you do it right, it’s your launchpad to fulfillment, wealth, and a self-determined future. When you do it wrong, it can trap you in stress, burnout, and financial struggle. As we…
How Dentistry Affects the People You Love: Part 2
Why Dental Professionals Struggle With Emotional Availability By: Dr. Sable Muntean After a long day at the office, it’s natural to feel drained. But when fatigue becomes emotional distance, relationships begin to suffer. Emotional availability—the ability to be fully present and engaged with the people you love—is critical for maintaining strong connections, yet it’s often…
The Year-End Bonus Headache No One Warned You About
By: Garrett Wilson As we head into the start of 2026, it’s worth reflecting on what happened in 2025 so we don’t repeat the same mistakes. Few topics created more tension at year-end than bonuses and holiday gifts. If you spend any time in dental social media groups, you saw it firsthand—frustration from employees and…
Beautiful Smile Design Case using a Fully Digital Workflow
By: John C. Cranham, DDS This topic originally appeared on Pankey.org. Dr. Cranham granted permission for igniteDDS to share with our readers. My professional journey in dentistry has been deeply influenced by my time in the Pankey Institute and other continuing education courses. My early career focused on integrating cosmetic digital dentistry with sound occlusal concepts….