This advanced treatment planning course teaches you the diagnostic principles to make every patient case easy to plan, predictable to treat, and to achieve functionally stable treatment outcomes.
It gives you a genuine 360° view on comprehensive dentistry, opening your eyes to teeth and joints as a functional unit and how successful dental rehabilitations are achieved when this correlation is respected and its principles are applied in daily treatment.
Functional and skeletal-driven diagnostics allow you to address the root cause of dental problems rather than chasing symptoms. The latest scientific evidence underscores the central role of mandibular position in achieving stable dentistry, and this program teaches you how to reliably establish it and how to set “teeth” around so that that undisturbed function remains guaranteed.
You will understand when occlusion becomes malocclusion and when function becomes dysfunction, and you will have clear, standardized protocols to act on that knowledge in every patient encounter. The breakdown of your patients’ dentition and of your own dentistry can be stopped.
Complex Patient – Simple Dentistry – Functional Diagnostics Is the Link
Learning Objectives:
By completing this advanced treatment planning course, you will be able to:
➣ Perform customized dental treatment based on each patient’s individual function
➣ Recognize when occlusion becomes malocclusion and when function becomes dysfunction
➣ Apply functional and skeletal-driven diagnostics to address the root cause of dental problems
➣ Determine the key factors for predictable treatment and long-term dental stability: reference position, internal derangements, vertical dimension, mandibular position, occlusal plane, and guidance system, all based on individual function
➣ Develop treatment plans for patients with complex interdisciplinary problems
➣ Integrate orthodontic considerations into restorative and prosthetic treatment planning
➣ Implement clear, standardized diagnostic protocols practical for everyday use
➣ Create reliable treatment plans that lead to successful, stable outcomes
➣ Diagnose and treat dysfunctional, symptomatic, and airway patients with confidence
➣ Expand case acceptance by educating patients and presenting clear treatment plans
Who Should Attend:
This advanced treatment planning course with a 360° view on comprehensive dentistry is addressed to all dentists and dental specialists wanting to diagnose and treat their patients holistically, to step up into more complex interdisciplinary cases, or to provide Sato’s Craniomandibular Orthodontic treatment to their patients.
If you are looking for stable dentistry and orthodontics, treatment of complex interdisciplinary cases, treatment of dysfunctional and symptomatic patients, or treatment of airway patients and those with musculo-skeletal problems, you should join us.
Lead the Paradigm Shift in Dental Diagnosis and Treatment Planning
Course Content and Clinical Skills Hands-On Training:
The 360° view on comprehensive dentistry that defines this program is built through hands-on skill acquisition and case discussions throughout all four modules. Participants will perform all diagnostic steps, documentation, and case planning, and will present their own patient cases following the course progression.
➣ Standardized clinical and instrumental functional diagnostic procedures
➣ Diagnosis and Interdisciplinary treatment planning
➣ Lectures, intense hands-on, implementation protocols for your practice
➣ Participants will perform all diagnostic steps, documentation, and case planning throughout all modules
➣ Participants will present own patient cases following the course progress
➣ Hands-on skill acquisition and case discussions throughout all four modules
➣ Clinical functional analyses – articulator, bruxchecker – patient communication
➣ Extended instrumental functional analyses: condylography, hinge axis, cephalometrics
➣ Unified coordinate system: making patient, cephalometrics, and articulator compatible
➣ Standardized documentation, individual evaluation and interpretation
➣ Full digital and analog workflows; the virtual patient – 3D simulation
➣ Interdisciplinary treatment planning according to the patient’s individuality
➣ Dentist/Dental Technician Collaboration
➣ Treatment plan presentation to the patient
Your clinical techniques might remain the same, but the predictability of your treatment will increase significantly.
A few hours of focused diagnostics invested saves considerable time and complexity during treatment.
Every case becomes clear from start to finish, guided by a logical line and the occlusal principles that need to be respected.
The Course Format:
This advanced treatment planning course is structured as a 1-year program across four intensive 4-day modules, a format specifically designed so you can continue running your practice while completing the program.
The modular structure creates a natural rhythm: clinical learning in the course room, immediate application in your own practice, and progressive case development across all four modules.
➣ Lectures, step-by-step hands-on training, and implementation protocols built for real practice
➣ 4 modules × 4 days = 16 days of intensive clinical education spread throughout the year
➣ Participants perform all diagnostic steps, documentation, and case planning across all modules
➣ Participants diagnose at least five cases in their own practice during the program
➣ Participants present their own patient cases following the course progression
➣ The integration of dental technicians is considered and will be addressed at your registration
➣ Tuition is payable in advance; individual payment plans are available
This Continuum is a Commitment to yourself and to your patients. It will have a tremendous impact on your practice.
Module Dates 2026/2027:
• Module 1: July 15–18, 2026
• Module 2: September 30 – October 3, 2026
• Module 3: December 9–12, 2026
• Module 4: March 2027 — Date TBD
All patients in your practice will benefit from your enhanced diagnostic skills: dysfunctional patients, symptomatic patients, patients with worn dentitions, periodontal patients, patients requiring complex rehabilitation, implant patients, orthodontic patients, and your youngest pediatric patients.
The IDEA / Sato Diagnostic Concept – A Paradigm Shift in Dentistry
With stepping into the IDEA / Sato Diagnostic Concept, you are entering a dental world which is way ahead of anything else in the dental field. This scientific and clinical concept follows Sato’s Craniomandibular Dentistry and Occlusion Medicine, the treatment approach that clearly explains the function of the masticatory organ and gives you integrative diagnostic protocols to consistently reach a reliable, root-cause diagnosis.
The terms Craniomandibular Dentistry and Occlusion Medicine describe the full extent of our profession’s impact on the masticatory organ. Teeth dictate mandibular position, and mandibular position plays the key role in both dental and physical health and in the success of every dental treatment.
When you understand and apply these principles, consecutive interdisciplinary treatment planning becomes logical, systemized, and achievable in daily practice.
This advanced treatment planning course gives you a 360° view on comprehensive dentistry that goes well beyond what is typically taught, integrating occlusion, function, craniomandibular diagnosis, orthodontics, periodontics, restorative/prosthetics, and implantology into one unified, practical framework.
This treatment approach will make your dentistry highly predictable, your daily clinical work much easier, and your practice exceptional. You will become a problem solver well beyond your community and well beyond what your patients expect. Step out of your comfort zone and discover a new dimension in dentistry.
At the end of the day, we are dentists. And since the treatment dilemma lies in the occlusion itself, we can predictably help and successfully treat all patients when the right diagnostics are in place.
IDEA Diagnostics and Treatment Planning making Every Case Easy
> How to perform a complete functional and craniomandibular diagnosis for any patient, any case
> How to identify the root cause of dental problems rather than treating recurring symptoms
> How to determine mandibular position and its direct impact on treatment planning and long-term stability
> How to build a clear, logical treatment plan for complex interdisciplinary cases from start to finish
> How to integrate occlusion with periodontics, orthodontics, restorative/prosthetics, and dental surgery into one unified diagnostic framework
> Higher treatment predictability and success rates without changing your existing clinical techniques
> The confidence to take on complex, interdisciplinary, and symptomatic cases you previously referred away
> A clear red line guiding every case from diagnosis to final restoration, eliminating uncertainty and chair time lost to rework
> A diagnostic system that works for every patient in your practice, from simple restorations to full mouth rehabilitations
> A practice that stands out for its clinical depth, treatment quality, and stable outcomes
> Treatment success which will make your patients to your best referrals
Request the daily agenda for the Program and Join IDEA with the Sato Team
Heike Kraemer, D.M.D., Ph.D., M. Sc.
Miles Guyton, D.D.S.
Atsushi Hasegawa, MDT (Technician)
Sadao Sato, D.D.S., Ph.D.
The Program is divided into 4 modules in 2026-2027. A total of 16 course days:
Mod1: July 15 – 18
Mod2: Sep 30 – Oct 3
Mod3: Dec 9 – 12
Mod4: Mar 2027
The price above is the price per module.
The program consists of 4 modules of 4 days (16days total) over the span of 1 year.
Total tuition is:
$21,520 “No Hotel” option
$23,920 “Hotel” option
Secure your seat with the $750 deposit.
Payment plans available at no additional charge.
Dr. Sato teaches the occlusion and function oriented orthodontics in relation to the craniomandibular system. A very accurate diagnosis, based on condylograph, cephalometrics and all these information transferred to articulator mounted casts is included in this course. Once you step into it, I'm sure it will help you to set the standard of dental service we provide to the highest possible level!
This course makes sense for a lot of things I observe but do not understand; it also gives me the direction for my future career development and practice building.
You do not know what you do not know. And what you think you know about occlusion is probably wrong or insufficient. Heike's continuum made the above statements very clear. An invaluable course for everyone with a dental license.
This is a must program for anyone that is serious about their diagnostic protocols that will influence their patients options and choices!
I feel so fortunate to have three fantastic mentors in Professor Sato, Heike Kraemer, and Roberto Velasquez. They were instrumental in changing my patient experience and treatment results. Thank you for providing answers to 20 years of questions.
This program is designed for any dental professional looking for comprehensive orthodontic education putting their patient and cranio-mandibular function in the center of their treatment. It teaches in theory and practice the groundbreaking orthodontic concepts of the world’s most recognized orthodontist, Prof. Sadao Sato.
It is intended for doctors who are looking for a practical approach that can be applied progressively throughout their practice, and it is designed to develop expertise and skills that can be implemented immediately.
Therefore, this program consists of quarterly modules so that doctors can attend the orthodontic training and maintain their practice at the same time.
It is addressed to general dentists who realize that orthodontics should become an important cornerstone of their interdisciplinary practice:
The program is also intended for orthodontic specialists who are seeking treatment alternatives:
Sato’s Orthodontic Concept can achieve treatment outcomes which are impossible to achieve in conventional orthodontics. The Sato concept does not compete with conventional orthodontics. It is by far superior for the following reasons:
Prof. Sato’s groundbreaking research emphasizes the function of the cranio-mandibular system, the role of stress management, and the correlation of occlusion, brain function and emotional states, and the correlation of occlusion and its impact on allostasis and homeostasis of patients’ general health.
By focusing on mandibular position, vertical dimension, and the occlusal plane, our Sato Orthodontic Program equips dental practitioners to manage complex cases, eliminates the need for premolar extractions or surgical interventions, and achieves stable treatment outcomes which do not require retention.
Unlike traditional orthodontics, which emphasizes mechanics, including extra-oral forces, removable appliances, or surgical anchorage, Sato’s Orthodontics focuses on a paradigm shift in growth and development, the cranio-mandibular system, the principles of adaptation and compensation, functional diagnostics, and the use of atraumatic, low-force mechanics with the multiloop wire.
Sato’s concept is based on significant scientific evidence, decades of clinical experience, and follow-ups which made it the world-leading treatment approach.
It integrates craniomandibular function, evidence-based principles, and techniques that lead to life-long, stable outcomes and overall health.
After completing our Sato Orthodontic Course, you will be able to confidently diagnose and treat complex orthodontic and dysfunctional functional patients using the cranio-mandibular approach.
You will understand how to identify the root causes of malocclusions, TMJ dysfunction, and airway issues and not see your patient just as a tooth alignment problem.
As you complete the program, you will gain the skills to develop comprehensive treatment plans that integrate cranio-mandibular orthodontics, occlusion, and facial growth patterns. This allows you to manage even severe skeletal discrepancies and achieve stable, long-term, functional results without applying extractions or surgical interventions.
This program will make you a leader in your community because you can offer treatment options which your patients are looking for, and you can help dysfunctional patients while other orthodontic dentists prefer to refer them out.
With our Sato Orthodontics program, you learn a diagnostic approach which will give you clear answers to identify the underlying cause of malocclusion or symptoms, and this will give you the “red line” to make EVERY case easy and predictable to treat.
The course package includes 12 intensive modules taught over three years at the IDEA Academy facility in the San Francisco Bay Area, conveniently located 10 minutes from the San Francisco International Airport.
Each module provides hands-on training, detailed case reviews (your own patients), and live patient demonstration with direct mentorship from the faculty, Roberto Velasquez, Prof. Sadao Sato, and Heike Kraemer.
Course materials, clinical manuals, and access to all digital resources are included as well as continued after-course mentorship for your ongoing cases.
IDEA offers an all-inclusive package including hotel accommodation, transportation, and freshly cooked meals during the sessions to ensure a comfortable and focused learning experience.
Yes. Graduates of our Sato Orthodontic Course receive ongoing mentorship and support from the IDEA faculty during the program and beyond. You will have access to post-course case consultations, alumni study groups, and continuing education updates.
This ensures that you can confidently apply what you learned in your own clinical practice while receiving the faculty guidance as new challenges may arise and as you take on more cases.
This course will clearly set you and your practice apart from your colleagues.
It is not only an orthodontic program, but it teaches you the occlusion principles which apply for your entire patient base.
This program will significantly expand your treatment offerings but will also elevate your clinical capabilities to predictably provide treatment solutions.
Since you will be able to achieve treatment outcomes which are impossible for conventional orthodontics, you will fulfill your patients’ increasing demands for treatment options which:
While you learn to diagnose the underlying causes of dental problems, you also learn how to solve them and how to predictably treat your patients.
By mastering Sato’s cranio-mandibular orthodontic principles, you will be able to treat cases that most clinicians refer out. But for you, treatment plans will be clear and treatment will be predictable to achieve.
This program will impact your dental practice, and you will:
This course will make you unique in your community and far beyond since you will become the problem-solver for many patients.
Please fill the form to receive the course agenda. In which you will be able to find the scheduled daily program, designed for an outstanding experience. We are looking forward to welcoming you at IDEA!
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