As you likely already knew, one of the cornerstones of modern medical education is the idea of being a “lifelong learner.” Dentists, physicians, hygienists and nurses all have to meet yearly  “continuing education” requirements to hold a valid license and continue providing care. At Thousand Oaks Family Dentistry, we pride ourselves in treating our patients with the most up to date and complete dental knowledge. With this principle in mind, we are proud to announce that Dr. Kari Ann Hong recently completed training at the prestigious Pankey Institute in Miami, Florida.

The Pankey Institute is a nonprofit organization that prides itself in offering unbiased and research proven dental courses. Their current curriculum spans the entire scope of practice, including esthetics, night guards, and functional shaping of dental restorations. The culmination of their educational program is the Core Diagnosis principle. Here, a series of facial measurements and proportions are used to make better decisions for cosmetic procedures such as orthodontics, crowns/veneers and periodontics. Tooth shape, gum height, and smile size all have a dramatic effect on how we perceive facial esthetics. This system collects all this data to define the safest and most efficient way to develop a beautiful and natural looking smile!

Dr. Kari started her coursework with the Pankey Institute in 2007 and completed their most up-to-date coursework in October of 2014. She has been proud to utilize their unique and patient focused perspectives for effective dentistry. Beyond many continuing education courses, the Pankey program brings together cosmetics, prevention and patient safety- Ideals we strive for with everyone who visits our office.

If you have any further questions on why we chose the Pankey Institute or any other educational programs we use, please let us know. Our office is here to provide the absolute best service we can. We always strive to use techniques, ideas and products that keep our patients at their healthiest!