2019 Speakers
Alyssa Aberle RDH, BSDH, MBA+
Alyssa Aberle is a 2009 graduate of the University of Colorado’s dental hygiene program. Alyssa has spent her dental hygiene career working with several local nonprofit organizations including Kids In Need of Dentistry, Salud Family Health Centers, Colorado Orthodontic Foundation, and STRIDE Community Health Center (formerly MCPN). Alyssa runs a school-based sealant program for her community health center and is constantly working on ways to increase access to dental care and provide low cost options for patients to achieve dental health.
While completing her Masters degree, Alyssa remained active in the Colorado Dental Hygienists’ Association. Alyssa served on the CODHA Board of Trustees as Vice President, President-Elect, President, and Immediate Past President. During her year as Past President, she was hired by the CODHA as Executive Administrator. She has been able to play a role in various aspects of our professional association and has a passion for advocacy and advancing the profession of dental hygiene.
Courses Offered:
- Silver Diamine Fluoride: Back to the Future – Thursday PM
Matthew Allen DDS
Matthew Allen, D.D.S. is the CEO and co-founder of Different Kind, a patient-focused hub designed to transform the experience of dental care. Dr. Allen is the only US-based dentist member of MINT, the Motivational Interviewing Network of Trainers. Previously, Dr. Allen was the clinic dental director at Clinica Family Health, a nationally recognized federally qualified community health center serving the Denver metropolitan area, where he remains active in clinical practice. He also serves as part-time volunteer faculty at the University of Colorado School of Dental Medicine.
Courses Offered:
- “Learning to SHARE: Tips to Promote Patient-Centered Communication During Teledentistry”
Kelli delivers fast-paced, engaging keynote speeches and workshops that provide clear, achievable strategies to slay burn-out and optimize total health. Kelli quickly connects with audiences, shares inspiring personal stories, and innovative, research-based content. Kelli is the author of the Amazon best seller: Martinis & Menopause — Strategies, Science and Sips that Empower Women to Beat the Hormone Groan. Her information offers useful, practical tips to feel better and live better. Kelli’s charitable spirit keeps her busy throughout the United States as a board and committee member and works with several local, state, and international organizations. She speaks at conferences around the world on a variety of healthcare and leadership topics and is a member of the National Speakers Association. Kelli lives in Salem, Oregon with her husband Dr. Ronald Jaecks.
Courses Offered:
- Keynote Address: “Oxygen, Please: Self Care Strategies for the Successful Leader” – Saturday Luncheon
- “Martinis and Menopause” – Saturday PM
Amy Kirsch captivates dentists, hygienists, dental assistants, and office managers with her insights and tactics on how to energize and improve their practices. As a nationally known dental practice management speaker and dental coach, Amy provides the spark dental teams need to make positive changes that build teamwork, improve patient satisfaction, and increase revenue.
As a dental coach, Amy challenges dentists to understand the numbers and trends of their practice, encourages dental team members to take an active role in the success of the practice, and galvanizes staff to work as a team to achieve their goals. Amy has a keen ability to discern the problem, deliver feedback, and help create a workable solution to most any problem a practice could face.
Amy is a Clinical Associate Professor at the University of Colorado School of Dental Medicine, and a member of the Academy of Dental Management Consultants and the American Academy of Dental Office Managers. She is also an independent coach, trainer and speaker with The John Maxwell Team, a certified consultant with Bent Ericksen & Associates, a national HR firm and a trainer with the DiSC Profile system.
When she is not presenting to “Dream Teams” around the country, she can be found at the local dog park with her husband, Marlin, and their two Labrador Retrievers, Hannah and Brody, skiing or on the golf course. Originally from New Mexico, she is still searching for the best enchiladas and margaritas in Denver.
Courses Offered:
Catrice Opichka’s energetic and captivating approach to dental programming blends her clinical experience and evidence-based research, with a spunky delivery, resulting in an entertaining learning experience that provides relevant examples that can instantly be applied to our dental practice.
Catrice is the owner of Pure Education, is a professional educator, and after three decades of life in the dental field, she continues to work “in the trenches” of dental hygiene practice.
Catrice has experience teaching clinical dental hygiene, has been published in Dentistry IQ and RDH magazine, and holds a Bachelor of Science degree in psychology with a concentration in addiction, and a Master of Science degree in management and leadership.
Catrice’s programs address challenging topics with honesty, compassion, and humor.
Courses Offered:
Armed with degrees in the dental hygiene and oral biology, Betsy presents scientifically-based dental and dental hygiene continuing education programs nationally and internationally. Avidly committed to making the dental sciences understandable and relevant, Betsy devotes time and energy to publishing articles and book chapters designed to enlighten and inspire clinicians. Her continuing education presentations include a variety of topics involving the biologic basis for oral and systemic disease prevention, microbiological and immunological aspects of oral disease, implications of stress on oral and systemic health, oralpathological concerns, oral piercing and body modification considerations in care delivery, head and neck anatomy and scientific developments affecting oral health care delivery. Betsy lives in her home state of Idaho where she enjoys hiking, biking, gardening and taking in the breathtaking scenery with loved ones.
Courses Offered:
Katrina is a vibrant, passionate and charismatic educator with a unique approach to delivering continuing dental education. She is the CEO and keynote speaker for Sanders Board Preparatory, an international speaker and award-winning clinical hygienist. Katrina works alongside Diplomates to the American Board of Periodontology as AZPerio’s Clinical Liaison, Hygiene Excellence and Innovation and is a published author with Dentaltown, Today’s RDH and a columnist and advisory board member for Modern Hygienist. Her philanthropic efforts include dental humanitarian work in developing countries, supporting abused and homeless animals and spreading awareness about the benefits of organ and tissue donation.
Visit: www.katrinasanders.com.
Courses Offered:
Lancette VanGuilder, RDH, BS graduated with her dental hygiene degree from the University of South Dakota in 1995. For the two last decades, she has been actively involved in dental hygiene leadership and advocacy on the local, state and national level. She has expertise as dental hygiene faculty with public health programs, periodontics and local anesthesia. Lancette is a past president of the Nevada Dental Hygienists Association and is a past recipient of the Nevada Dental Hygienist of the Year award. On the national level, she recently served for 4 years on the board of directors for the American Dental Hygienists Association (ADHA) and currently serves on the national ADHA Leadership Development Committee.
Currently, Lancette works as a clinician in private practice, in the corporate world as a professional educator, as a public health dental hygienist and is a member of the Premier Dental Professional Speaker Bureau. Lancette also launched a nonprofit school based oral health program in rural communities in northern Nevada in 2016. In this current school year alone, her program may reach over 10,000 students ranging from age 4 to age 20. She has the opportunity to work independently and provide all dental hygiene services to underserved populations with her Public Health Endorsement. Her experience in dental hygiene education, leadership and clinical practice has enabled her to develop CE courses that are relevant for the entire dental team.
Lancette is passionate about ensuring that all communities have access to dental care, the power of prevention and the utilization of the dental hygienist.
Courses Offered:
- “Au Naturale: Oral Health and Homeopathic Trends” – Friday AM
- “What The JUUL” – Friday AM