How to Choose Dental CE & Fall Back in Love With Dentistry | Dr. Lee Ann Brady, Pankey Institute
May 19, 2026
Why did Dr. Lee Ann Brady quit dentistry and tear up her license, and what brought her back to love it? The executive director of the Pankey Institute explains how to choose continuing education, why a curriculum beats one-off courses, and why you get to decide how you practice. In this episode: - She sold her practice in 1999 and quit, then fell in love with dentistry again - Why every dentist needs a community of other dentists - Telling patients that no dentistry lasts forever - "You choose how you practice": the lesson that changed her career - Curriculum-based CE vs one-off courses, and how to choose between Pankey, Spear, Dawson and Kois - What makes Pankey different: small classes and the business side of dentistry - The phases of a dental career, from getting your reps in to practicing for fun - Pankey Foundation scholarships for younger dentists Plus dental news: Virginia lets internationally trained dentists become hygienists and dental assistants scale, the HHS disability rule deadline moves to 2027, LA Mayor Karen Bass's dental care proposal, and a possible 59,000-year-old dental filling. Dr. Lee Ann Brady is executive director and director of education at the Pankey Institute. She practices in Glendale, Arizona, lectures nationally, and teaches online at leeannbrady.com and restorativenation.com. Chapters: 0:00 Intro 0:53 Welcome back, Jeff 5:16 Jeff's humbling implant moment 6:56 Adverse outcomes happen to every dentist 11:51 News 12:32 News: Virginia's new hygiene workforce laws 14:40 News: HHS disability rule deadline moves to 2027 15:32 News: LA Mayor Karen Bass's dental care proposal 16:28 News: a 59,000-year-old dental filling? 20:53 Introducing Dr. Lee Ann Brady 23:59 Why she quit dentistry, and how Pankey brought her back 26:07 Burnout around year 10 28:27 Why you need a community of dentists 30:45 No dentistry lasts forever: telling patients 32:05 You choose how you practice 34:34 Predictability, and the 2am bitewing 35:46 Young dentists and perfection 37:25 Which CE course should you take? 39:06 Curriculum vs one-off courses 41:50 How to choose a CE institute 43:31 What makes Pankey different 45:31 The Pankey culture 47:04 Where to try a Pankey course 49:10 Pankey online 51:47 Why small classes build better dentists 54:30 Taking more than one curriculum 55:43 Why dentists can't stop learning 57:17 Watch out for "boost your bottom line" CE 58:54 The phases of a dental career 1:04:18 Pankey Foundation scholarships 1:06:01 Closing 🎧 Listen to the podcast: Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/dentists-in-the-know/id1543254763 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2Elfj6LX0hCUyp0AgdTsij 📺 Make sure you subscribe to catch new episodes live every Wednesday at 8pm ET! https://www.youtube.com/@dentistsintheknow 🌟 Stay up to date on all the latest dental trends when you follow the DINKs: https://fanflet.com/dinks/social-2
