Ronda Holman found her passion for dental assisting while in the Air Force.
She assisted in oral surgery, general dentistry, and ended her four-year service as a prophy tech, the military’s version of a dental hygienist.
She married and spent 13 years traveling the country while her husband served in the Air Force. Each time Ronda relocated she got the opportunity to work in a new dental office, where she picked up pearls that have helped her become an expert in educating dental assistants.
Her interests are immediate denture/partial fabrication, CEREC technology, patient education, and striving for optimal chairside skills.
Ronda believes that every dental assistant has the potential to be a rock star assistant if given the right tools and guidance.
Buying a Dental Practice Is the Easy Part—Earning the Team’s Trust Is the Real Work
By: Ronda Holman Purchasing an existing dental practice offers a significant advantage: a team that already knows…
Meaningful Ways New Dentists Can Show Gratitude to Their Team During the Holidays
…Without Spending Much Money By: Ronda Holman The holiday season is a perfect opportunity for new dentists…
Did Your Dental Assistant Give You Expired Anesthetic Again?
If So, Here’s What We Need to Do By: Ronda Holman There’s nothing that sinks a dentist’s…
Blessing or Curse? The 4 O’Clock Dilemma
By: Ronda Holman It’s 3:55 p.m. on a Thursday. The 4 o’clock patient just canceled. You can almost…
That’s Not My Job: Why Clear Delegation Matters in Dentistry
By: Ronda Holman You’ve probably heard the old story about four people named Everybody, Somebody, Anybody, and…
How Dentists Can Be Patient with Their Dental Assistant as They’re Still Learning
By: Ronda Holman Every dentist remembers that awkward learning curve when they first started practicing — the…
3 Ways to Invest in Your Dental Assistant
By: Ronda Holman What Dentists Can Learn from Chef Tina in The Bear In the TV series…
Why Dental Teams Should Learn Together
By: Ronda Holman In the fast-paced world of dentistry, continuing education (CE) is essential, not just for…
What’s Keeping Your Dental Assistant from Becoming an EFDA?
By: Ronda Holman If you’ve ever found yourself wishing you had two pairs of hands during a…
Help! My Dental Assistant Keeps Giving My Patients Dirty Glasses
By: Ronda Holman It might seem like a small thing, but when a dental assistant hands a…
Class I Preparation and Restoration: High-Yield Guide for D1 Students
By: Michael Eid As a D1 student, learning the fundamentals of cavity preparations in sim lab is your first step toward clinical success. This guide will help you bridge the gap between lab exercises and real patient care by teaching you how to think clinically from day one. You’ll gain insights on handpiece control, bur…
Sometimes the Best Treatment is None At All
By: Dr. Savanah Craig One of the biggest contributors to burnout in dentists, in my opinion, comes from decision fatigue. Constantly we are faced with our patients’ problems that we did not create and are expected to find a solution to this problem. We must evaluate the problem, excavate possible causes for this issue, determine…
Authenticity in Dentistry: Embracing Personal Integrity for Professional Growth
By: Paul A. Henny, DDSThis Topic Originally Appeared on PankeyGram.Org. Dr. Henny granted permission for igniteDDS to share with our readers. Clinical efficiency and business systems often take the spotlight. But during all that, it’s easy to overlook something fundamental: your individuality. I love this quote from Ralph Waldo Emerson “Nothing is at last sacred…
5 Secrets to Building Wealth in Dentistry
By: Dr. James Pitts As a practicing Dentist, your career will last around 30-35 years on average. During this time an average Dental Practice will have about $30,000,000 pass through collections. One would think that this would be enough for all Dentists to retire Financially Independent and debt free. However, ADA statistics tell us that…
What’s Keeping Your Dental Assistant from Becoming an EFDA?
By: Ronda Holman If you’ve ever found yourself wishing you had two pairs of hands during a procedure, chances are you’ve already imagined the value of an EFDA—an Expanded Functions Dental Assistant—on your team. So, what’s holding your current assistant back from stepping into that role? For many dental assistants, the barrier isn’t capability—it’s clarity,…
Airway Dentistry: Making a Difference for Patients’ Wellness
By: Steve Carstensen, DDS This Topic Originally Appeared on PankeyGram.Org. Dr. Carstensen granted permission for igniteDDS to share with our readers. “Hypoxic burden” is the challenge that the body faces due to low levels of oxygen on an intermittent basis. Our physiology has an adaptive capacity to manage hypoxic burdens. When that adaptive capacity is exceeded,…
Case Using DMG’s Ecosite Elements: Class II Caries on #4
By: Dr. Mohammed Hammoud Today’s case: Radiographic caries on #4D, extending into the occlusal. A well-sealed, properly contoured Class II restoration was the goal. Here’s how I approached it: Step-by-Step Breakdown: 1. Anesthesia ½ carpule Citanest Plain + 1 carpule Septocaine for patient comfort and profound numbness. 2. Preparation Conservatively removed decay while preserving tooth…
You Hired an Associate, Congratulations! Now what?
By: Angela Holland As a dental practice owner, you may reach a point where the demand for your services outpaces your ability to handle it all on your own. Whether you’re struggling to manage an influx of new patients, dealing with burnout from working long hours, or simply looking to scale your practice, hiring an…
Patient Care in the Age of 2 Day Shipping and Social Media
By: Dr. Savanah Craig We live in a world of instant gratification. Social Media shows us before and after photos and leaves out the hours, days, months, years it took to achieve that outcome. Patients are inundated with advertisements for “Teeth in a day” and dental tourism that promises to fix all their problems in…
Achieving the Ideal Shade for Complex Restorative Cases
By: Kelley Brummett, DMD This Topic Originally Appeared On PankeyGram.Org. Dr. Brummett granted permission for igniteDDS to share with our readers. Often we have cases where one shade from VITA guide doesn’t seem to match the case due to different shades of adjacent teeth. A situation occurred in my office when I was working with a…