Online technology has impacted every industry and dental continuing education courses is no exception. As younger graduates enter the field of dentistry, the impact of technology is growing. Dentistry has historically been slow to embrace new trends, but younger, tech-savvy industry professionals are driving demand for technological support. One of the areas most affected is dentistry education, particularly continuing education courses for dental professionals.

Dentassist, a leader in online dental continuing education courses, was founded in 1982 and began offering courses in 1983. In 2008, they became an American Dental Association continuing education recognized provider. Founder Lisa Saiia faced resistance in the company’s early years: "I remember when I started my company…the woman who worked for me said if I got a computer she was going to quit." Visibility continues to be a challenge for this growing market segment, but Saiia says younger industry professionals are driving the demand for online services: "they want more technology." She says many people still need to be "walked through" the site, but when a product is easy to use and it something that is needed, word spreads quickly. And for those who prefer live classes, webinars will be a valuable resource that dentassist is pioneering.

Live webinar courses will give the dental professional the opportunity to gain necessary dental continuing education courses in a more convenient, less expensive format. Webinars have become more and more popular as technology makes them easier. Today you can have live lessons via webinar and with students from all over the globe. A dental education CE course via webinar would allow dental professional to earn their CE from the comfort of their home or office. It seems that the more advanced technology becomes the avenues for education increases. Having the opportunity to listen to a lecture and take a test from the comfort of one’s home is a primary reason for the growth in online education. With little exception someone can gain as much knowledge via webinar as the comparable to traditional classrooms.

Before online companies like dentassist developed online dental continuing education courses there were very few resources for dentistry continuing education, but companies like dentassist are growing their visibility and creating new options for the industry. Online training is an effective, efficient way for dental professionals to maximize their time and keep up with new developments in their field. As dentistry professionals become more familiar with new technologies, the impact of online continuing education credits will continue to grow.