The Academy of Orthodontic Assisting (AOA) will present a number of clinical courses for staff members who attend the meeting in Denver.

Each session is $45, or attendees can choose any four sessions for $150. Hands-on clinical experiences will be taught by trained instructors from the AOA.

Classes will include the following:

• Intraoral Procedures 1: Introductory Skills

The course will use mannequins and real orthodontic appliances, and hands-on exercises will be geared to those new to orthodontic assisting. Topics to be covered include proper patient positioning and assistant posture, along with elastic and steel ligation, placement and removal of power chain, and more.

• Intraoral Procedures 2: Advanced Skills

This class will focus on advanced intraoral procedures such as placement of coil spring, elastic configurations, placement of kobayashi hooks and other auxiliaries, headgear fitting and adjustment, and archwire insertion and removal.

• Intra-Oral Procedures 3: Orthodontic Wire Bending Skills

Also featuring hands-on experience, this class will focus on different bends that orthodontic assistants may be required to make in orthodontic archwires and retainer wires during fabrication.

• Intraoral Procedures 4: Fitting and Adjusting Wire Retainers

This class will provide hands-on experience in skills and techniques used in fitting and adjusting wire retainers. It will also discuss patient instructions.

For more information on these and other courses, visit www.orthoassisting.net.