"Through a special alliance with National Lab Network, DLA members can now receive verifiable CPD and one-on-one training from the masters...without leaving their lab!"

Dear DLA Members,

We at DLA are very excited and pleased to announce a new strategic alliance with the National Lab Network (NLN). National Lab Network is the largest provider of accredited distance education and training for dental laboratories in the U.S… and now they will be bringing that same quality of groundbreaking training and instruction in a very cost-effective and timely manner exclusively to DLA members.

As you know, starting in August 2008, the GDC’s Standards Guidance requires that all dental care professionals complete and record 150 hours of CPD every five years, a third of which must be verifiable CPD.

Since this announcement, DLA has been investigating resources for training and education that can support our membership base with the new compulsory CPD. After much research, we strongly believe that the National Lab Network is uniquely positioned to provide DLA members with CPD that is timely, economical and convenient.

National Lab Network provides both verifiable "bench-side" training and "management training" courses. Its programs, which feature the industry's leading experts, are delivered immediately to you via the Internet. They also can be downloaded to a personal computer or mobile device, such as an iPod. Imagine being able to experience one-on-one training from the masters...without leaving your lab!

The traditional methods of acquiring CPD (attending seminars, conferences, etc.), are still relevant and highly recommended, especially for their technique workshops and peer-to-peer networking opportunities, but overall they tend to be less efficient and more expensive methods of continuing education. National Lab Network's on-demand training brings the curriculum right into your lab, minimizing productivity losses—and it allows you to train your entire team for one low price. And with the new compulsory CPD, this is an important factor.

The concept of learning from a distance is not a new one, but National Lab Network truly takes it to a whole new level with its groundbreaking programs for lab owners, managers and technicians. National Lab Network's parent company, the National Dental Network, has more than 15 years of clinical and surgical filming and production experience, plus the equipment to bring it all together in a larger-than-life format. In the medical sector, the company also owns and operates the National Cosmetic Network. Its esteemed partner in that venture is The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.

CPD at the Touch of a Button

One of the biggest benefits of the alliance is the ease with which you now can receive CPD. The National Lab Network website (www.nationallabnetwork.com) lets you and your staff quickly and easily take accreditation exams—right online! With the touch of a button, you and your team can send completed exams to National Lab Network and receive immediate notification of whether you have passed or need to try again. NLN will send over verification of each passed test score. As an owner or manager, you can see in real-time a CPD report for everyone in your lab. Your CPD certificates will come in the mail directly from IDEA. The NLN website also offers collateral educational materials and before-and-after case photographs to further expand your knowledge of the topics covered in their programs.

How Can Your Lab Benefit from National Lab Network?

National Lab Network

• Covers the new CPD requirements for all your techs…no need to worry
• Saves money by eliminating travel expenses to CPD courses
• Reduces down time and loss of production
• Delivers best-in-class training content directly to your lab
• Provides timely information on new materials and products
• Reduces learning curve on new techniques
• Serves as a training tool for new-hires
• Improves overall quality of work and production rates

Sincerely yours,

Richard Daniels
Chief Executive