Universal vs. Multi-Step Bonding with Prof. Bart Van Meerbeek
Dental Digest Podcast with Dr. Melissa Seibert
Release Date: 02/23/2026
Rethinking Full-Arch Implant Therapy with Dr. Kim Schlam
Dental Digest Podcast with Dr. Melissa Seibert
Join Elevated GP: Download my free Follow @dental_digest_podcast Follow @dr.melissa_seibert on In this in-depth conversation, Dr. Melissa Seibert is joined by prosthodontist and Spear Education faculty member Dr. Kim Schlam to take a critical look at one of the most talked-about trends in dentistry: full-arch implant reconstructions and hybrid prostheses. Together, they explore the promises and pitfalls of these complex treatments, challenging the idea that hybrids should be considered a one-size-fits-all solution. Dr. Schlam shares candid insights from years of managing...
info_outline
Expert Secrets in Dental Bleaching with Dr. Van Haywood
Dental Digest Podcast with Dr. Melissa Seibert
Join Elevated GP: Connect with me on Instagram at @dr.melissa_seibert on Van B. Haywood, D.M.D., is Professor Emeritus in the Department of Restorative Sciences, Dental College of Georgia @ Augusta University. A 1974 alumni of the Medical College of Georgia School of Dentistry, he was in private practice 7 years in Augusta, Georgia and taught at the University of North Carolina School of Dentistry in Chapel Hill, NC in Operative and Prosthodontics for 12 years before coming to Augusta University in 1993. In 1989, he co-authored the first publication in the world on...
info_outline
Reimagining Hygiene with Biofilm Management With Dr. Pam Maragliano
Dental Digest Podcast with Dr. Melissa Seibert
Join Elevated GP: Register for the live meeting: Download the Injection Molding Guide: In this episode of The Digital Dentist Digest, Dr. Melissa Seibert is joined by board-certified prosthodontist Dr. Pam Maragliano for Part 2 of their conversation, focusing on preventive dentistry systems, guided biofilm therapy (GBT), and modern hygiene workflows that drive both clinical outcomes and practice growth. Dr. Maragliano shares a detailed, step-by-step breakdown of how her practice approaches biofilm management using air polishing technology, subgingival...
info_outline
Modern Hygiene Systems in Dentistry with Pam Maragliano
Dental Digest Podcast with Dr. Melissa Seibert
Join Elevated GP: Register for the live meeting: Download the Injection Molding Guide: In this episode of The Digital Dentist Digest, Dr. Melissa Seibert sits down with Dr. Pam Maragliano for Part 2 of their conversation, focusing on how to build a modern, prevention-driven dental practice through guided biofilm therapy (GBT), risk-based hygiene systems, and effective patient communication. Dr. Maragliano provides a detailed look at how her practice has transitioned from traditional hygiene models to a biofilm-centered approach, utilizing advanced...
info_outline
Back-to-Back Class IIs with Dr. Matt Burton
Dental Digest Podcast with Dr. Melissa Seibert
Join Elevated GP: Register for the live meeting: Download the Injection Molding Guide: Dr. Matt Burton, DDS is a clinician, educator, and internationally recognized speaker whose work centers on elevating the clinical precision and decision-making of the modern general dentist. Known for his articulate teaching style and clinically grounded philosophy, Dr. Burton has developed a reputation for translating complex restorative and prosthodontic principles into practical, reproducible workflows that can be implemented immediately in everyday practice. Clinical Philosophy...
info_outline
Zirconia, Digital Impressions, and Restorative Accuracy with Dr. Michael Skramstad
Dental Digest Podcast with Dr. Melissa Seibert
Join Elevated GP: Register for the live meeting: Download the Injection Molding Guide: In Part 2 of this two-part conversation on Dental Digest, Dr. Melissa Seibert continues her discussion with digital dentistry educator and CAD/CAM expert Dr. Michael Skramstad. While Part 1 focused on the foundations of digital workflows, this episode explores the clinical nuances where digital dentistry either enhances precision or quietly introduces risk. The conversation begins with one of the most under-recognized challenges in restorative dentistry: the accuracy of digital bite...
info_outline
Digital Dentistry Workflows with Dr. Mike Skramstad
Dental Digest Podcast with Dr. Melissa Seibert
Join Elevated GP: Register for the live meeting: Download the Injection Molding Guide: Digital dentistry has transformed restorative workflows over the past decade—but many clinicians still struggle to understand where digital tools truly improve accuracy and where limitations remain. In this episode of Dental Digest, Dr. Melissa Seibert sits down with digital dentistry educator and CAD/CAM expert Dr. Michael Skramstad to explore how intraoral scanners, digital bite registration, and AI-assisted articulation are actually performing in modern restorative...
info_outline
Adhesion Beyond the Myths with Prof Bart Van Meerbeek
Dental Digest Podcast with Dr. Melissa Seibert
Join Elevated GP: Register for the live meeting: Download the Injection Molding Guide: In Part 2 of this series, Dr. Melissa Seibert and Professor Bart Van Meerbeek transition from foundational adhesive science into the nuanced clinical decisions that shape long-term outcomes. If Part 1 established the biological and material principles behind durable bonding, this episode addresses the gray zones clinicians navigate daily: contamination, enzymatic degradation, substrate variability, polymerization stress, and postoperative sensitivity. The discussion confronts several...
info_outline
Universal vs. Multi-Step Bonding with Prof. Bart Van Meerbeek
Dental Digest Podcast with Dr. Melissa Seibert
Join Elevated GP: Register for the live meeting: Download the Injection Molding Guide: In Part 1 of this two-part series, Dr. Melissa Seibert sits down with Professor Bart Van Meerbeek, one of the most influential figures in adhesive dentistry worldwide. From dentin permeability to hybrid layer degradation, Professor Van Meerbeek’s research has fundamentally shaped how clinicians understand the biological and mechanical realities of bonding. This conversation moves beyond product marketing and into the core science: what we truly know, what remains uncertain, and why...
info_outline
Fixed vs Removable Solutions for the Edentulous Arch with Dr. Darin Dichter
Dental Digest Podcast with Dr. Melissa Seibert
Follow @dr.melissa_seibert on Dr. Dichter brings nearly 20 years of clinical, research and teaching experience — as a general practitioner and prosthodontist — to his position with Spear. He serves as an instructor in the Treating the Terminal Dentition and Fully Edentulous Patient seminar, in addition to multiple Spear Workshops. Dr. Dichter has served as a guest lecturer and clinical instructor at Oregon Health and Science University School of Dentistry, teaching occlusion and esthetics. He has been a Spear faculty member since the company’s inception, as well as a...
info_outlineJoin Elevated GP: www.theelevatedgp.com
Register for the live meeting: https://www.theelevatedgp.com/ElevationSummit
Download the Injection Molding Guide: https://www.theelevatedgp.com/IMpdf
In Part 1 of this two-part series, Dr. Melissa Seibert sits down with Professor Bart Van Meerbeek, one of the most influential figures in adhesive dentistry worldwide. From dentin permeability to hybrid layer degradation, Professor Van Meerbeek’s research has fundamentally shaped how clinicians understand the biological and mechanical realities of bonding. This conversation moves beyond product marketing and into the core science: what we truly know, what remains uncertain, and why durability in adhesion continues to require deliberate clinical judgment.
Together, they unpack the “adhesion degradation paradox,” the hydrophilicity trade-off inherent in universal systems, and the persistent performance gap between simplified one-step adhesives and multi-step gold standards. The discussion explores film thickness, hydrophobic layering, stress distribution, and the biomechanical role of flowable composites as stress-relieving buffers. They also examine why 10-MDP concentration matters, why not all universal adhesives perform equivalently, and how bonding strategy should be tailored to substrate conditions—from young permeable dentin to sclerotic or amalgam-affected substrates.
This is not a discussion about shortcuts. It is a rigorous, clinically grounded examination of what evidence-based adhesive dentistry actually demands. If you are striving to practice with greater clarity, confidence, and scientific defensibility, this episode will recalibrate how you think about bonding protocols in everyday practice. Part 2 will continue the conversation, moving deeper into contamination management, clinical troubleshooting, and long-term durability.