Episode 731 · December 29, 2025
The Power of Isolation: A Game Changer for Dental Teams
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Featured Guest

Ms. Shannon Pace Brinker, CDA
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Shannon Pace Brinker, CDA is a national and international speaker and published author of over 300 articles for various publications.
She has been a practicing dental assistant for over 25 years and works for Dr. Robert Korman in Virginia Beach, VA.
She has taught over 2,000 classes on dental assisting technique and over 60,000 dental assistants over the last 6 years alone. Shannon has taught at the Nash Institute, Dawson Academy and Spear Education, instructing through both lectures and hands on programs.
She has written over 300 articles in regards to Clinical Application and has a current column in Dental Product Reports for the team evaluation of dental products and materials. She has her own publication for dental assistants with partnership of Schein Dental called "Side by Side". She has started one of the first online platforms designated for dental assistants called the Academy of Chairside Assisting.
Shannon is an active member of the AACD and was the first auxiliary to sit on the AACD Board of Directors and was awarded the Rising Star Award. Shannon was has also been recognized as one of Dentistry Today's Top 100 Clinicians for the last 10 years, Dental Products Report 25 most influential women in dentistry, the Lucy Hobbs Award, Sunstar Butler achievement award and Dr. Bicuspid's Dental Assistant Educator of the year.
Episode Summary
Imagine this: your assistant is juggling a heavy salivator, a mouth full of water from high-speed drilling, a gagging patient motioning to sit up — all while trying to pass instruments and prep materials. It’s stressful, it’s messy, and it can impact both efficiency and outcomes. Now imagine there’s a device that does the heavy lifting — it removes water, retracts soft tissue, and illuminates the field, all hands-free. Joining me today to talk about this game-changing side of dentistry is Shannon Pace-Brinker, an internationally recognized dental assistant and educator who’s trained tens of thousands of dental professionals on restorative techniques, digital workflows, impressions, veneer cementation, and — of course — isolation.
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