Our Story
Dr. Malz and Dr. Woodman started practicing dentistry in 1995. Ten years later, in 2005, they opened their own practice in Matthews, just outside Charlotte — and not long after, they ran into a problem a lot of practice owners know all too well: they couldn’t find enough well-trained team members to keep up with a growing practice.
So we did the thing two dentists with strong opinions about doing things the right way tend to do — we built the training program we wished already existed.
We started the Dental Staff Institute in 2008 as a comprehensive program for people entering the field. It grew into hundreds of successful graduates over the years. Our continuing education courses certified thousands, but we still considered them a kind of “footnote.” But somewhere along the way, we found what actually gave us the most satisfaction — it wasn’t just training people into the profession, it was helping people already in it find their next opportunity. And not just assistants. The whole office.
That practice we were running, by the way, didn’t stay small. We built it into a truly successful, well-run operation — the kind of experience you only get from actually being in the trenches, not from a textbook. It’s why we don’t just teach the clinical side; we know what it takes to run a practice well, because we’ve done it.
Then COVID rearranged everyone’s plans, ours included. We sold the practice and put our full attention into DSI. We leaned into the changes: online learning meant people could train in their own home, at their own pace — pajamas optional — while still getting real, hands-on practice where it actually mattered. By 2025, that hybrid approach had become our whole focus.
Today we’re building our continuing education resources on that foundation — growing beyond North Carolina’s regulated courses toward programs for dental teams wherever they’re headed next.
For Dental Assistants
Every certification you add changes what you’re trusted to do chairside. It’s the difference between being limited to support tasks and being the assistant an office builds their schedule around. And if you’re relocating to North Carolina, we’ve got a bit of a soft spot for that story — we’ve met plenty of assistants who assumed their out-of-state or DANB credentials would carry over, only to find out otherwise. North Carolina has its own requirements — for radiography, nitrous oxide monitoring, and coronal polishing in particular — and those requirements apply even if you’re already experienced or certified somewhere else. We’d rather you hear it from us early, with a smile, than find out the hard way later.
For Hygienists
Hygiene is a field where standing still isn’t really an option — new techniques, new patient care standards, new expectations from the offices you work in. Beyond the continuing education hours you’re required to log, the right courses let you refresh core skills, stay current, and specialize in ways that set you apart in a hiring market that rewards it.
Our founders have worked with some amazing hygienists over nearly 30 years in practice, and they’ve noticed something: the best ones don’t just want to fill the schedule, they want a say in how it’s built. If that sounds like you, we get it — and we built our courses with that in mind. We want to support hygienists who want a real voice in how their preventive care and periodontal department runs: how it’s structured, how it’s staffed, how it prioritizes patient wellness alongside practice efficiency. That’s a different kind of value than just showing up and doing the next cleaning — it’s caring enough about the department to help make it better, for the patients you treat and the team you work alongside.
(Note: our hygienist-focused CE courses are currently working toward AGD PACE approval.)
For Front Office
The clinical side gets most of the dental continuing education spotlight, but we’ve always thought the front office doesn’t get enough credit — it’s the most patient-facing part of a practice, often the first and last impression a patient has, and where the whole system either holds together or quietly falls apart. We’ve watched a great office manager turn a chaotic practice around, and we’ve watched a great system fail simply because nobody trained the team to actually use it.
A good system only works if it’s well designed and genuinely understood by the people running it day to day, which means it can’t just come from the top down. It takes real collaboration between the owner, the manager, and the staff putting those procedures to use — and it has to keep evolving as the practice does, not sit as a binder nobody opens after the first month. Courses in scheduling, patient communication, and day-to-day operations build exactly that skill set, turning a front-office role into one of the practice’s most valuable positions — the one that actually makes the systems work.
For Dentists & Practice Owners
Picture a Monday morning at a busy practice: the schedule’s already tight and there are two emergencies to squeeze in, a hygienist calls in sick, and the front desk is fielding insurance calls before the first patient even sits down. Every dentist who’s run a practice knows that morning. We lived it too — for decades.
Running a successful practice takes more than clinical skill. Our founders built a multimillion-dollar practice over the years, and a lot of what made that possible had nothing to do with a drill — it was how the practice was run. We’re building our dentist and practice-owner courses around that same practical experience, not theory.
That starts with the structural side of a practice: how scheduling is designed, how patient communication is standardized, and how staff are set up to actually succeed in their roles rather than just told what to do. A practice runs on more than good intentions — it runs on clear procedures and systems, and on people who’ve actually been trained to use them. As we like to put it: systems run the business, but people run the systems. Getting both right — and getting your team fluent in how they’re supposed to work — is often what separates a practice that scales smoothly from one that’s constantly putting out fires. On top of that, we’ll be covering the regulatory side every practice has to stay current on, including:
OSHA workplace and bloodborne pathogen standards
ALARA radiation safety principles
The Red Flags Rule (identity theft prevention in patient records)
Human trafficking recognition and reporting
Mandatory abuse reporting (elder/vulnerable adult and child abuse recognition)
HIPAA and patient data privacy
Sterilization and infection control protocols
HR Best Practices
(Note: our dentist-focused CE courses are currently working toward AGD PACE approval.)
One Team.
Growing With You.
Whatever seat you’re in, the idea is the same. Continuing education is what moves you forward, whether that’s a new certification, adopting some new idea or procedure, or simply staying current.
We’re focused on doing that well for the courses we offer today, with many more on the way as we grow.
Meet the Team
Stephanie B., DA2
Stephanie is a native of Mecklenburg County and has been an orthodontic/dental assistant since 2005. She has also been an instructor with Dental Staff Institute since 2020. Her background includes completing a program in orthodontic assisting at the Orthodontic Assisting School of Atlanta as well as completing a program in dental assisting in North Carolina. Stephanie enjoys being able to see positive impact that dentistry has for the patient’s appearance and self esteem. She also enjoys teaching dental assisting skills to students planning a career in the field of dentistry. When not at work, Stephanie is busy with her daughter, Kendall, who is a competitive dancer and her son, Kaidyn who is involved in martial arts.
Kayce H., DA2
Kayce is a Charlotte native, that enjoys the outdoors and all things fitness! She’s happily married to her teenage crush and has a beautiful baby boy, Tegan. In her down time she enjoys spending time with family, going to the beach, & lifting weights. In 2015 she graduated from DSI.
“Not only do I enjoy educating patients about oral health and prevention, but I enjoy educating our students at Dental Staff Institute. Teaching is an outlet to be able to help share what I’ve learned over the years of dental assisting. In this field we are learning new things everyday and I can’t wait to help students begin their journey in the dental field!”
Lisa H., CDA, EDDA
Lisa received her EDDA from the University of Louisville Dental School. She moved to Charlotte and met the docs in 2006. She enjoys all aspects of the dental field and is currently the lead instructor for the Dental Staff Institute.
She loves seeing her students grow into wonderful assistants. Between helping patients and new assistants she truly loves her dental career.
If she is not working you may find her traveling with her steel tip dart league in NC and SC. When ever she has a free weekend she may be in Kentucky seeing her daughter Kylie at UK or at a horse show. She loves every day coming home to her fabulous flunkey Cedric!
Laura K., RDH
Laura graduated from Ferris State University in 2001 where she obtained her Associate of Applied Science in Dental Hygiene. Laura has been an instructor with Dental Staff Institute since 2016. She loves being able to see the spark in the students eyes when it all clicks and they have grasped the concept of learning something new. Also, she will be the one dancing in the hallways during the radiography classes with her snazzy moves!
Laura is a Michigan native and relocated to Charlotte in 2013. In her free time, Laura enjoys hiking, traveling and trying out new restaurants and breweries in Charlotte.
Amica M., RDH
Amica is a Registered Dental Hygienist of 13 years and an Instructor with Dental Staff Institute since 2013. “I have a passion for sharing my studies and level of expertise with people that have an interest in the dental field. This industry has so much to offer and I’m glad to be able to assist with its continued growth.” Amica’s other passions include exercising, reading and spending time with family.
Amber S., CDA
Amber graduated from Fayetteville Technical Community college in 2010 as a Certified dental assistant. Shortly after graduating she learned that pediatric dentistry was her passion as she loved helping children, especially in underserved communities. After getting married and having two children of her own she is now a facility director of a dental surgery center. Being able to be an instructor feeds her passion to help future dental assistants understand what great opportunities can come from this career and to help students realize their greatest potential. Her favorite quote is “I never lose. I either win or I learn.”