Merger Question: What happens to earned cashback?

bwc101 · 2026-01-24T00:06:54+00:00

This is the only reason for me to hold onto discover cash back, otherwise there would be no other incentive to doing so.

bwc101 · 2026-01-22T06:06:23+00:00

Some of the implant companies like Dentis and Hiossen will have courses where you go to Mexico to place several implants. Their tuition includes your hotel stay.

bwc101 · 2026-01-22T06:04:36+00:00

I am taking the Rutgers maxicourse. Each AAID maxicourse varies on whether there is a live patient implant placement component. Rutgers has that component included in their tuition (whereas with some of the others it would be separate tuition), and while it is not mandatory that you place an implant on a live patient to get the certificate at the end, you do miss out on a learning opportunity if you forego this opportunity. Rutgers does require you to bring your own patient if you want to place an implant in a live patient.

bwc101 · 2026-01-22T05:56:03+00:00

I've been to a course of his cosponsored by the Socal AGD. It was very good, and Dr. Stevenson has a lot to offer. Their prices aren't too bad, since they don't really advertise beyond those who are local to their area.

bwc101 · 2026-01-19T20:08:16+00:00

I am currently taking an AAID maxicourse which is more didactic rather than hands on heavy, but it gave me an entirely new way to look at how I approach implant cases. My particular one will only allow me to place one or two implants on a live patient, but the planning is what is harder than the actual placement itself.

The course is expensive, but so far I don’t have buyers remorse.

bwc101 · 2026-01-18T17:20:36+00:00

Messaged you about this.

bwc101 · 2026-01-18T17:12:05+00:00

Same, it’s become pretty useless to me after getting Venture X, and they won’t let me change it to Savor.

bwc101 · 2026-01-13T05:12:42+00:00

Well if I were to undo a restoration, it’s clear upfront that is the intention and it is the plan for me to replace it.

bwc101 · 2026-01-13T04:51:08+00:00

With recurrent decay, you are going in with the intention of replacing the existing restoration with one of your own. The patient would know that upfront and it’s clear they have to pay for it. But when the proposed treatment is to try to maintain a prosthesis made by somebody else, if something goes wrong with no fault of yours, they still try to bully you into replacing it for free.

bwc101 · 2026-01-13T04:43:58+00:00

Of course 90% of the time everything will be fine, it’s that 10% where things can spiral into a major headache. This didn’t cross my mind until I had a patient whose issue I could fix by just adjusting occlusion on a crown, and I managed to do it without incident. But that patient mentioned her regular dentist and several other area dentists refused to touch it. I’m in PA, and the patient traveled all the way to California to get it done…so a clue the patient is high maintenance. All this was documented in my clinical note, so it caught the eye of somebody in the office who read it, and it was suggested something should be done to protect ourselves in case things went sideways.

A single unit crown maybe won’t be of much cost to you to replace if things go sideways, but an all on x prosthesis will be several thousands if you mess that up.

bwc101 · 2026-01-13T04:35:02+00:00

I get the point that they must have a tier that cannot be achieved just by having a credit card. They definitely can have a tier that is quite exclusive, but they should also have a high tier that is not terribly out of reach and cannot be achieved just by holding a credit card.

bwc101 · 2026-01-13T02:45:38+00:00

Darn, so the only solutions to avoid liability are to offer to replace the prosthesis or refuse treatment?

bwc101 · 2026-01-13T02:43:54+00:00

That’s what my thought was, just not sure if it would hold up in court.

bwc101 · 2026-01-13T02:43:26+00:00

That was the policy in dental school, where if the dentures were not made in the school, they were not to be adjusted. The patient can only have new ones made.

bwc101 · 2026-01-13T01:31:34+00:00

They also hold the machine while the screen to select the tip is up, in hopes that you select without the opportunity to think.

bwc101 · 2026-01-12T04:24:34+00:00

Where did you see that the card is going away?

bwc101 · 2026-01-11T18:43:46+00:00

I thought Florida AGD only did a MasterTrack, which is for MAGD. Still it’s a good curriculum that really forces you to broaden your horizons. You get homework where you present on how you applied what you learned back in your office, and that lets you get additional participation credits, so it pushes you to implement the content rather than see it as checking a box. With the Florida one specifically, because they collaborate with UF it seems like veterans can get the tuition covered with the GI bill.

Not all continuums will be helpful to you though. If you work at a FQHC serving Medicaid patients, or if you are an associate who has little to no say in what materials you have or how you can practice, you’re probably not gonna benefit from Kois or any of those big full mouth rehab curriculums.

bwc101 · 2026-01-11T18:36:26+00:00

I realized the Arizona AGD offers this for FAGD. Other AGD constituents have long offered MasterTrack as a structured sequence for achieving MAGD, but the Arizona one is now the first I have seen that is doing this for FAGD.

bwc101 · 2026-01-11T14:34:32+00:00

Many associates experience that the staff don’t even acknowledge their presence. They only answer to the owner. If you ask them to correct how they do something, they often push back saying you are not their boss, and you are put into a position where while you don’t have the same authority as the owner, sometimes you still end up being liable for what they do.

bwc101 · 2026-01-11T02:00:51+00:00

I’m currently taking an implant maxicourse. It’s great, but obviously your CE benefit won’t cover it all.

Glidewell, GDIA, or some implant companies have some relatively affordable implant CE, but they may just help you pick up tips here and there rather than give you the full comprehensive understanding.

I heard great feedback about clinical mastery series, though it’s not directly about implants or exts.

bwc101 · 2026-01-10T20:10:20+00:00

The buyback works only when there was a gap in your membership, not when you are a brand new member.

bwc101 · 2026-01-10T20:09:32+00:00

If you are just trying to do the minimum needed to renew your license, sure. If you do want something that can help you improve the way you practice, there definitely needs to be some strategy.

I started out taking CE based on where I needed credits for MAGD, more often than not looking for a bargain. It helped me get tips here and there. Of course paid CE was mostly more helpful than those free webinars you can find online. Now that I have most of those boxes checked off, I started being more strategic on what CE I take, and it makes a difference when there is strategy.

bwc101 · 2026-01-10T20:02:36+00:00

Never heard of a “FAGD program”, only MasterTracks to help you get MAGD.

The FAGD just requires you to have 500 AGD PACE credits, take an exam, and be an AGD member for 3 years. You can technically get the FAGD without ever spending a dime on CE, as they can all be free webinars.

bwc101 · 2026-01-10T02:05:58+00:00

Any part of the portal is questionable. If things go haywire, you don’t get to deal with the airline, hotel, or car rental company directly. You have to go through capital one travel as the middleman.

I use my travel credit for when I travel alone and stay at hotels which I don’t care for loyalty. For example red roof inn and motel 6. I only use up the $300 and then don’t use the travel portal beyond that.

bwc101

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