Catapult Education™ Speakers Bureau

Foroud Hakim, DDS

General Dentist
 California, USA

Lecture Topics
  • Clear Aligners
  • Cosmetic Dentistry
  • Dental Technology
  • Restorative Dentistry

Meet Your Next Big Dental Speaker

About Dr. Hakim

Dr. Foroud Hakim is a nationally and internationally recognized speaker with an unwavering passion for all aspects of contemporary restorative dentistry. He is particularly motivated to help colleagues in improving treatment outcomes, patient experiences, as well as practice efficiency. He thrives on audience participation and interactive learning models. “I learn just as much from my audiences as they might from me; if it’s not a two-way street, something is wrong!”

Dr. Hakim has balanced private practice and dental education for 31 years in the San Francisco Bay Area. He splits his time between “real world/wet fingered” private practice, and teaching dental students at University of the Pacific, as well as colleagues across the country. He earned his DDS in 1991 and went on to earn his MBA in 2000. His areas of focus range from predictable and lasting adhesion, minimally invasive single tooth dentistry, all the way through to full mouth esthetic rehabilitation and smile design.

Dr. Hakim is the founder of San Ramon Dental Excellence, Director of Occlusion at the University of the Pacific and an active board member and speaker for Catapult Education’s Speakers Bureau.
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Honors and Achievements

Catapult Education
Board Member
Speaker Bureau Member

San Ramon Dental Excellence

Founder
University of the Pacific
Dir of Occlusion, TMJ, and Advanced Restorative Concepts
Former Director of Esthetics, Complex Care & Implants
Former Vice Chair, Department of Restorative Dentistry

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Discover Dr. Hakim's Latest Courses

Short Format

The following courses can range in time and depth from a 1-hour short program or webinar to a 2.5-hour deeper dive incorporating more than one related title.

How Strong is Strong Enough? Adhesion Demystified

It goes without saying that contemporary restorative practice hinges on adhesion. Successful bonding is the foundation for almost all direct and indirect restorations. Even so, strong and lasting bonds continue to be a challenge in daily practice. Sensitivity, marginal leakage and restoration loss are just some of the hurdles that can be overcome when we truly understand the science. This course covers adhesion to all substrates ranging from dentin and enamel all the way through the full menu of restorative materials.

Learning Objectives:
  • A review of adhesive generations including their advantages and shortcomings How to interpret Shear Bond Strength data and understand how it relates to clinical outcomes 
  • The best etching/conditioning strategies 
  • Delivery protocol must-knows, including isolation, application techniques, and light curing 
  • Unbiased performance data from market leading products 

The Class II Solution

Over the last 30 odd years, composite has all but replaced amalgam as the material of choice in contemporary practice. Class II composites are the most commonly placed direct restoration. While class II’s account for nearly ½ of all direct restorations placed (equaling the total of all class I’s, III’s, IV’s & V’s combined), they continue to be one of the most challenging procedures for even the most seasoned practitioner. Sensitivity, contacts and matrixing, marginal leakage, isolation, contours, occlusion, finish & polish, and efficient and cost-effective delivery are recurring pain points. This course will arm the attendee with insights and techniques to simplify this complex yet common procedure. The goal? Bullet proof protocols, lasting outcomes, happy patients, and practice profitability! 

Learning Objectives: 
  • Principles of MID prep design 
  • Effective bonding review 
  • Composite material selection (including flowables, sculptables, and bulk-fills)
  • Isolation and matrixing (including overcoming the challenging contact) Ideal placement to optimize contour 
  • Curing principals 
  • Efficient finish & polish techniques

The Class IV Solution

Restoring a class IV fracture for a distraught patient is one of the most rewarding and gratifying procedures we do as doctors. Patients with a fractured incisal edge often consider themselves disfigured, and this is magnified in today’s esthetically driven selfie world. We are literally their hero when we return their broken tooth back to normal. However, a poor shade match, uninspired contours, poor surface luster, leakage and stain, or the dreaded delamination, leave us humbled and exposed. We can go from a hero to a zero pretty quickly. This course is designed to specifically address the nuanced challenges of class IV’s which can be different from other typical composite restorations.

Learning Objectives:
  • Prep design and beveling strategies to render restorations indistinguishable
  • Isolation and matrixing strategies for ideal form and contour 
  • Mixed substrate tooth conditioning and adhesion 
  • Material selection and 3D shade development 
  • Placement and delivery tips and tricks 
  • The best approach to finish and polish 
  • Inspired restorations that duplicate nature and last for years to come

The Class V Solution

Abfraction lesions, Class V’s, NCCL’s…etc. The nomenclature is constantly evolving. But no matter what we name these lesions, we always arrive at the same questions in clinical practice. How did they happen? What’s the etiology? Are there strategies for prevention? And perhaps the biggest question… Should we restore these, and if yes, how? (cont.)(cont.) This course answers all these questions and more. While Class V restorations pose unique challenges with regards to placement, lasting retention, and sustained esthetics, there are specific techniques and protocols that help doctors overcome all of these pain points.

Learning Objectives: 
  • Etiology identification and prevention 
  • Best practices in adhesion and tooth conditioning 
  • Prep design and beveling strategies that make restorations disappear
  • Material selection (a viscosity-based approach) 
  • Isolation and placement tips and tricks 
  • Efficient and simple finish and polish for incredible outcomes 

Should I Hold Firm or Go with the Flow? A Viscosity Based Rubric for Composite Selection

Improvements in both adhesive sciences as well as composite materials, coupled with the contemporary commitment to MID (minimally invasive dentistry) has ushered in yet another paradigm in restorative practice. “What composite should I use?” is one of the most common questions I get from an audience. A glance at any supply catalog can make one dizzy with the ever-expanding menu of composite options available for adoption. This program aims to provide the doctor with a systematic rubric for selection of composite materials based on the clinical circumstance, esthetic demand, and occlusal burden.
 
Learning Objectives: 
  • How to elevate their outcomes by choosing appropriate composite viscosity independent of specific manufacturer brands 
  • Delivery protocols for all composite class restorations from class I’s thru VI’s Tips and tricks taking you from prep design and adhesion through to finish and polish

Modern Ceramics Roadmap

All-ceramic restorations have all but replaced the traditional gold and metal based ceramic crown and bridge materials of the past. The explosion in ceramic options in the marketplace can be a source of confusion. Am I prescribing the best material for my indirect restorations? Should I vary between posterior and anterior? What’s best for single units? How about bridges or implants? This course tackles all of these questions and much more. A review of the evidence combined with a case-based approach to learning makes this a favorite of participants. 

Learning Objectives: 
  • An overview of contemporary ceramic options 
  • A reliable rubric for material prescription 
  • Maximizing esthetic potential without compromising durability 
  • Modern prep design and reduction requirements for ceramic materials Delivery tips and tricks for impression, provisionalization, and cementation

Cementation Deconstructed

Crown and bridge cement options seem to expand by the day. A detailed understanding of contemporary cementation principals is the difference between lasting success or premature failure. This topic is further complicated by several factors including ceramic material strength, tooth stump influence on final esthetics, retentive vs. non-retentive prep designs, MID approach, isolation challenges, and desires for bio-activity. This course will cover all cement classes and provide doctors with a logical approach to material and technique selection.

Learning Objectives: 
  • A comprehensive materials review including bonded resins, self-adhesive resins, RMGI’s, and bio-ceramics 
  • When cementation is an option vs. when bonding is a must 
  • Bonding principals review 
  • Step by step delivery protocols including tooth and restoration interface pre-treatment
  • Adhesion to the most common materials including zirconia and lithium disilicate Tips and tricks to simplify pain points like isolation, provisional retention, and cement clean-up/removal

You Never Get a Second Chance to Make a First Impression

No other procedure in restorative dentistry has a more pronounced and direct link to outcome than impression accuracy. However, gauging impression accuracy is nebulous at best. Practitioners report ongoing frustration with crown and bridge final impressions. At the same time, commercial labs continue to report the majority of impressions submitted as flawed, inaccurate, or less than ideal. This program is designed to empower the practitioner with the knowledge, skill, and protocols to transform one of the most frustrating procedures in practice into one of the most reliable. Predictable impressions lead to an elevated patient experience, improved practice efficiency, greater profitability, and reduced frustrations.

Learning Objectives: 
  • Impression materials review including the latest in material science advancements
  • Intentional and predictable tissue management techniques, the secret to analogue (and digital) impression outcomes 
  • To master hemostasis 
  • The use of a diode laser for impressions 
  • Preserving tissue stability through the impression process including the fragile biotype
  • Material viscosity selection based on clinical circumstance 
  • To troubleshoot clinical scenarios including complex crown and bridge, removable pros, and implant impressions through case-based learning 
  • Tips and tricks to capture an accurate impression the first time, every time

Don’t Go Postal Over Post & Core

The best approach to restoring endodontically treated teeth is an evolving paradigm. While many of the traditional principles and best practices around post and core fabrication continue to hold true, the development of predictable dentin bonding, flexible and bondable post materials, and novel approaches in delivery enable today’s practitioners to restore debilitated teeth with improved prognosis. This program reviews the evidence, the materials, and the techniques surrounding this subject. Doctors will learn through a series of documented clinical cases. 

Learning Objectives: 
  • The two most important factors in successful endodontically treated tooth rehabilitation 
  • Predictable intra-radicular bonding, from adhesives to delivery technique How to determine when a post is warranted 
  • Mitigating negative levers that could lead to root fracture 
  • How to reduce C-factor while delivering lasting mono-block build-ups
  • Material selection and tips and tricks for delivery 
  • Post and cores that impart the correct influence on final restoration esthetics

My Technician & I Don’t Speak the Same Language

Restorative success often hinges on effective and accurate communication between the doctor-technician team. From the ever challenging single central, to the complex functional rehabilitation, or the highly scrutinized smile re-design, communication is paramount. Skilled doctors and technicians are not enough to guarantee the best results. This course covers the A to Z of effective laboratory communication. 

Learning Objectives: 
  • The importance of impression accuracy and case set-up 
  • How to best communicate dento-facial esthetics to technicians 
  • Why digital photography is a non-negotiable 
  • Best practices for shade matching, mapping, and communications 
  • How best to transfer accurate inter-occlusal records 
  • Analogue vs. digital smile design
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Long Format

The following courses range from a minimum half-day setting all the way through full-day and multi-day programs which may include hands-on components. They can be tailored to a given audience or organization’s interests.

Esthetic Dentistry – “Redefining The Cliché”

Once upon a time, esthetic or cosmetic dentistry conjured up images of smile rehabilitations using ceramic veneers. Today, it’s so much more. We should anticipate esthetic dentistry as a baseline expectation of all of our patients. Not only should our procedures improve health and function, but they should do so while simultaneously improving the appearance of a single tooth, multiple teeth, or our patient’s broader smile and holistic facial appearance. Add to this the growing emphasis on tooth structure preservation, the minimally invasive approach, and the expanded menu of materials and techniques, and it is easy to see why staying current is more critical than ever before. This course covers the subject broadly by reviewing esthetic concepts related to both direct and indirect restorations as well as multidisciplinary case planning and lab communications.

Learning objectives will include many of those listed in all 10 short course descriptions above, namely: 
  • How Strong is Strong Enough? Adhesion Demystified 
  • The Class II Solution 
  • The Class IV Solution 
  • The Class V Solution 
  • Should I Hold Firm or Go With the Flow? A Viscosity-Based Rubric for Composite Selection 
  • Modern Ceramics Roadmap 
  • Cementation Deconstructed 
  • You Never Get a Second Chance to Make a First Impression 
  • Don’t Go Postal Over Post & Core 
  • My Technician & I Don’t Speak the Same Language 

“Working Smarter Not Harder” Direct Restorations in Contemporary Esthetic Practice

This long program takes a deeper dive into the subject of direct restorations. Not only does it cover much of the content in the first five short courses listed above, but particular attention is offered in the areas of practice efficiency, outcomes predictability, reducing redos, job cycling, patient satisfaction, and profitability. 

Learning Objectives: 
  • Objectives listed in short courses 1-5 
  • How to complete restorations faster while improving quality 
  • The financial impact of thoughtful procedure scheduling

“Working Smarter Not Harder” Indirect Restorations in Contemporary Esthetic Practice

This long program is the counterpart to the direct course. It takes a deep dive into the subject of indirect restorations. Starting from single tooth restorations, and growing in complexity to full esthetic and functional rehabilitation, the spectrum of contemporary crown and bridge topics are visited. Not only will we cover much of the content in the short courses 6–10, but particular attention is offered as it relates to practice efficiency, predictability, eliminating redos, patient satisfaction, and profitability. 

Learning Objectives:
  • Objectives listed in short courses 6-10 
  • How to increase speed while also increasing quality 
  • Treatment planning for success 

Supercharge Your Restorative Practice: Updates on the Latest in Dental Materials, Technology, and Gadgetry

Is it difficult for your practice to keep up with the latest in contemporary esthetic practice? How about the latest in technology, gadgetry, and dental materials? Do you wish you could reduce the challenge of delivering the best care to your patients while increasing efficiency and profitability? If you answered yes to any of these questions, this is the seminar for you! This dynamic full day program combines a mix of lecture and hands-on instruction to deliver practice changing information that you can put into play immediately. Bonding or adhesion is the foundation for nearly all direct and indirect restorative procedures in practice today. However, the strongest, most stable, and longest-lasting bonds continue to pose challenges for practitioners. Simplifying the science and delivery protocols can prove invaluable. Meanwhile, the expanding menu of direct resin-based restoratives and indirect ceramics can prove difficult to keep up with. Add to this the constantly evolving delivery technologies and it’s easy to understand the confusion. Let’s learn together! 

Learning Objectives: 
  • The latest in adhesive science 
  • A substrate-based etching/conditioning approach 
  • The latest in composite materials 
  • Indirect restorative options ranging from ceramics to fiber 
  • Delivery techniques and protocols 
  • Invaluable technologies ranging from curing lights to lasers 
  • Real life tips and tricks to simplify daily practice

Diagnosis & Treatment of the Complex Restorative Patient (a case-based learning approach)

Vertical dimension loss, crowding, misposition, erosive disease, destructive parafunction, inadequate restorative space, unrealistic expectations, and challenging patient psychologies are some of the factors that can complicate diagnostics, treatment planning, and restorative delivery. This course takes a case-based approach to reviewing a myriad of complex case types including those that require a multidisciplinary approach to care. This program promotes audience interaction and encourages attendees to share challenging cases from their own practice. 

Learning Objectives:
  • Diagnostics including models and articulation
  • A four-stage approach to patient care
  • Verbal cues, habits, and red flags that should never be missed
  • Analogue and digital case design
  • Effective communication with the complex patient
  • The importance of incorporating pre-prosthetic orthodontics in differential treatment planning

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