The Final Touch 2-day Macro- Micro Course

October 24, 2025 4:00 PM - October 26, 2025 1:00 AM (GMT)

Course Description:

The proper space management, contour, surface texture, final surface color, and polish can take average looking restorations and create an exceptional esthetic result. These steps are critical to the success of dental restorations weather it is composite or ceramics. The micro hand skills of “micro texture can also be taught in modeling wax, this can be a very useful exercise as it is easy to change wax. The Author practices his sculpting skills at least once a month in wax as he finds it is the fastest way to keep “trained”. This is a lecture and hands on course that uses composite as a medium to design, form, contour, finish and polish anterior teeth. The lecture part of the course will cover the following topics (1) the step-by-step process of managing the design of 6 anterior teeth for a specific maxillary arch relationship. (2) Specific guidelines for esthetic tooth arrangement both in size and position are the key elements taught during this course. (3) The esthetics of the individual tooth i.e. the individual form and color characteristics of teeth and the inter-relationships between teeth. (4) Micro-esthetic elements of surface texture, and polish will be covered in a very systematic easily learnable format, with different materials composites, and wax. Dr. McLaren will also demonstrate how he layers composite by fabricating a full tooth with the crown and root, and the participants will do the same thing. 

The demonstration and hands on part of the course will cover the armamentarium and the step-by-step process of these vital steps of form, texture, surface color, and polish. Part of the course will be taking 6 maxillary teeth that have been built up as 6 oversized blocks of composite, and specifically determining the correct esthetic parameters of midline, tooth length and width, inter-tooth width relationships. Once these parameters have been determined the step-by-step process of creating these macro-dental esthetic relationships will be demonstrated and participants will do the same. Micro-esthetic parameters of form, contour, surface texture, and polish will gone over in great detail and participants will accomplish all these important skills.

Course Objectives:

Upon completion of this course, the participant will be able to:

• Space management and Shaping 6 anterior teeth in machined composite.
• Contouring 6 anterior teeth in machined composite materials and techniques
• Texturizing 6 anterior teeth composite and materials and techniques
• Polishing 6 anterior teeth in composite materials and techniques
• Fabricating composite tooth with full root and finishing

Tentative Course Schedule:

9am - 12pm: Didactic Education

12pm - 1pm: Lunch

1pm - 1:30pm: Demo

1:30pm - 5pm: Hands-on Clinical Training

Speaker Bio:

Dr. McLaren is a Prosthodontist and Master Dental Ceramist. Dr. McLaren currently is the CEO of ArtOral America, which is a specialized high end private teaching institute based, in Park City Utah. He also maintains a private practice limited to prosthodontics and esthetic dentistry in which he did all of his own ceramics.

Originally, Dr. Mclaren attended the University of Redlands where he graduated Phi Beta Kappa and Magna Cum Laude. He received his D.D.S. from the University of the Pacific School of Dentistry, where he graduated Omicron Kappa Upsilon. After several years of general practice, he received his specialty certificate in Prosthodontics from UCLA School of Dentistry. Dr. McLaren is a member of the American College of Prosthodontists, Pacific Coast Society of Prosthodontists, International College of Prosthodontists, American Academy of Esthetic Dentistry, International Society of Dental Ceramics, International Association of Dental Research, American Association of Dental Research, American Dental Association, and the California Dental Association.

Dr. McLaren is still actively involved in many areas of prosthodontic and materials research. He also has authored and/or co-authored over 90 articles. He is performing ongoing clinical research on various restorative systems. He has presented numerous lectures, hands-on clinics and postgraduate courses on ceramics and esthetics across the nation and internationally. He published a book on his ceramic techniques and features dental photographic art, entitled “The Art of Passion: Ceramics, Teeth, Faces, and Places”.

Dr. McLaren retired from Professorship from both UCLA and UAB School of Dentistry. He was the director of the UCLA Center for Esthetic Dentistry, a full time didactic and clinical program for graduate dentists. He was also the founder and director of the UCLA/LACC Master Dental Ceramist program. The post-graduate program is a full-time master ceramist program for dental technicians featuring extensive experience with the newest esthetic restorative systems. At UAB he was founder and first director of the Advanced Dental Esthetics, founder director of the Advanced Dental Esthetics, Restorative & Biomaterials Program, founder and director 3-year advanced ceramics and digital technology for technicians program, founder and director one-year esthetic and restorative fellowship Restorative & Biomaterials Program, founder and director 3-year advanced ceramics and digital technology for technicians program, founder and director one-year esthetic and restorative fellowship. Dr Mclaren was also an Adjunct Assistant Professor for the University of Oregon Dental School.

Curriculum Vitae (CV): Doctor's CV can be requested by email

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Photography and Videography Policy:

By registering and attending this event you are giving permission to be in a photograph/video of the event unless you ask not to.

Cancellation Policy:

Cancellations made more than 30 days before the start of the course - full refund (minus 5% processing fees)

Cancellations made between 15-30 days before the start of the course - 50% refund (minus 5% processing fees)

Cancellations made 14 or less days of the start of the course - no refund

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