Dr. Kristen Berning earns Certificate in Esthetic Dentistry

Dr. Kristen Berning recently completed a 510-hour postgraduate program at the University of Minnesota School of Dentistry. By completing this program, she has earned a Certificate in Contemporary Restorative and Esthetic Dentistry. This continuing education program was comprised of 400 hours of class and a 110-hour independent dental research project. In the United States, there are only a few premiere University-based Esthetic Dentistry programs like this.

This comprehensive Certificate Program in Contemporary Restorative and Esthetic Dentistry covered many of the specialty fields in dentistry and brought in instructors from all over the country. Dr. Berning was fortunate to encounter wonderful mentors such as the late Dr. Paul Belvidere. Dr. Belvidere was a master with cosmetic dental bonding and shared many of his tips and techniques that Dr. Berning uses in her practice weekly. Cosmetic dentistry can be found in all the dental specialties including implant dentistry, periodontics, orthodontics, endodontics, pediatrics, prosthodontics, restorative dentistry, and more, and this program included all these disciplines.

This program was created and directed by Dr. Paul Olin, DDS MS, Associate Professor at the University of Minnesota School of Dentistry with specialties in Prosthodontics, Restorative, and Implant Dentistry. After 21 years of this Esthetic Dentistry program, it is being phased out as Dr. Olin transitions his career within dentistry and plans for his future.

The final requirement for the Certificate was an independent 110-hour research project. After a few months of reviewing current dental literature and planning a project, Dr. Berning prepared samples, completed materials testing, had the results analyzed by a University of Minnesota statistician, and wrote a scientific research paper. She presented her research project in the spring of 2019 to Dr. Olin, Dr. Fred McIntrye and a classroom of dentists. ​