The Hands-On Molar Endo CE Course That Changes the Game for General Dentists

A Mission to Save Teeth Starts With You

When it comes to missions, I have a big one. Seeing general dentists safely incorporating endo into your practices is something I feel incredibly passionate about—because it supports my #1 mission in life: Saving teeth.

That’s why I created E-School. First as an online course to give general dentists deeper education in endodontics—and then as E-School LIVE, an in-person, hands-on molar endo CE course designed to bring that learning into the real world.

Why? Because far too many general dentists leave dental school without the skills or confidence to practice endo safely. And yet, most of you are expected to offer endo in private practice anyway. It’s a broken system—and I wanted to create something better.

The Continuing Education Crisis: Where Are the Real Skills?

Why is it so difficult for dentists to access quality continuing education—especially for endo?

One reason is liability. Many experts avoid offering in-depth, real-time CE because of red tape and risks. Another is bias: so many CE programs push products instead of prioritizing education.

In contrast, E-School and E-School LIVE are designed with one goal in mind: To teach you how to perform root canals safely and effectively, using whichever tools you choose. I’ll share the products I love, but I’ll never push you toward one system or solution.

A student once shared:

And another:

E-School LIVE: Your Real-World, Hands-On Molar Endo CE Course

Not so long ago, I wrapped up another incredible session of E-School LIVE, and it inspired me to share some of the most valuable teachable moments my students have had over the years.

E-School LIVE is a 4-day, in-person, hands-on dental training that covers even the trickiest root canals—in real-time and on real patients. Dentists who have completed my E-School with Coaching course travel to Charlotte, NC to refine their root canal skills in my practice.

They get to try my equipment, learn side by side with me, and serve the Charlotte community by delivering $50,000 in free dental care during each session.

My favorite day? Day 3.

That’s when the shift happens—nerves settle, hands steady, and confidence blooms.

What Can You Learn From a Hands-On Molar Endo CE Course?

It’s common to struggle with any new skill. In fact, I welcome it. When things go wrong during the course, those moments become some of the most valuable lessons.

A common challenge? Warm vertical condensation.

Many students come in afraid of it and default to single cone. That’s why I make it a priority to help each dentist gain comfort with this technique—because it works predictably across a wide range of canal sizes.

And now, let me walk you through some of the real cases and real lessons from a recent session. These are shared exactly as they happened.

Case #1: An E-School LIVE Teachable Moment

Since students are just starting out learning warm vertical condensation, I don’t throw them into the deep end right away with molars. Instead, I have them start with easier teeth like anteriors and premolars so they can get used to the equipment. So for this first case, we were working on teeth #6 and #7 on a patient. Diagnostic tests showed that both teeth were very sensitive to cold but had no pain to percussion. So the diagnosis was Symptomatic Irreversible Pulpitis and Normal Apical Periodontium.

Tooth #6 was a breeze. There were no hiccups, and you can see how beautifully it was treated! 

That fill is sooooo homogenous, right? That was one of our favorite words that weekend, hah! 

To be honest, the fact that it was so straightforward kind of disappointed me, because I always want to turn those hiccups into lessons that make this hands-on molar endo CE course seriously hands-on. Plus, I want to offer dentists lots of insight on how to navigate similar problems when they’re back in their own practice! So if everything goes perfectly during the weekend, there are not that many takeaways to, well, take away. 

Fortunately, though, we weren’t done yet. We still had tooth #7, which meant there were further learning opportunities to come! When we got to the treatment, everything was going real smooth… that is, until the downpack. 

The backfill gave us some trouble, with a bubble in the final fill. So, I had my student try to redo it.

And she did! Except it actually ended up making it worse.

I know she was frustrated, but this is the kind of real-world problem that occurs in the operatory, so we need to learn how to fix it when it happens. Seriously. This stuff still comes up for me all the dang time. And it is so important to learn from teachable moments like this!

Now, my students are already rock stars by the time they come to this hands-on molar endo CE course, but part of the benefit of the program is that I’m there as their mentor, standing right by their side the whole time.

So, I instructed her to remove the coronal gutta-percha, and then take her backfill unit (i.e., gutta-percha gun) and place it right on top of the downpack. Next, I advised her to leave it there for a few seconds to warm up the top of the gutta-percha. Then, I asked her to extrude about 2mm of gutta-percha at a time and condense each increment with a plugger. (By the way, using a 25 gauge obturation needle with light body gutta-percha would also help prevent this from frequently happening.)

And the result? She did it!! And she totally nailed it! Once again, she got a nice homogenous fill.

I was super proud of her and her perseverance. And now I’m confident that she can back herself out of one of the biggest root canal obstacles that any dentist can face. Talk about a confidence boost!

Case #2: Yet Another Tricky Situation From My Hands-On Molar Endo CE Course

Here is another example of a case from my hands-on molar endo CE course that turned out successful, but definitely required that we do some serious troubleshooting to get to that outcome. Now THIS one is a molar! The tooth had no pain to percussion and felt cold with no lingering pain. The diagnosis: Asymptomatic Irreversible Pulpitis and Normal Apical Periodontium.

The student’s instrumentation was smooth, but when I asked him how he liked his obturation, I could tell he was disappointed. So, to take advantage of the moment and provide a learning opportunity, I had him downpack again and see if he could advance the gutta-percha on the mesial and make the distal a bit more homogenous. (There’s that word again!)

And violà! Look how well he condensed the fill!

I think the final result was absolute perfection.

Do you see how beneficial it is to get this hands-on practice? Having the chance to practice on real patients rather than on extracted teeth creates far better learning opportunities, because doing root canals on extracted teeth just doesn’t translate well to real life. 

The canals are super dry, the MB2s literally disintegrate and close up, and the tooth is like a moving target in your hand, making focus extremely difficult. Ultimately, it actually makes endo harder, and what’s worse, it strips you of your confidence. You end up feeling that if you can’t do endo on a tooth that you’re holding in your hand, you couldn’t possibly do it on a real patient—which just isn’t true.

I promise you that endo in a mouth, attached to a patient, is not only so much easier, but more relevant too! That’s why I’m so happy my students were able to work out their root canal struggles in real-time and gain the confidence they need to keep rocking their endo back home. I’m certain that they will use this knowledge to create more efficiencies in their practice flow.

Lessons Learned from This Hands-On Molar Endo CE Course

Even though I could probably write a book on all of this (and I have!), here are my top takeaways:

• Perseverance is key. Take a breath, refocus, and try again. You’ll surprise yourself.
• Trust your gut. If something feels off—act on it. That instinct is usually right.
• Learn from everything. Every “mistake” is a chance to grow—don’t miss the lesson.
• Get mentored. I’d love to help you build your skills in real time, with support and personalized guidance.

FAQs About My Hands-On Molar Endo CE Course

1. What is E-School LIVE?

It’s a 4-day, in-person hands-on molar endo CE course in Charlotte, NC where dentists treat real patients under my mentorship after completing E-School with Coaching.

2. Who is the course designed for?

E-School LIVE is designed for any dentist looking to invest in their endodontic training. Whether you’re a general dentist with your own practice, an associate on the rise, a recent dental school graduate, or simply a dentist who loves to learn, you’re a great fit for the program if you’re serious about building your endo confidence.

3. How many root canals will I do?

Each dentist has the opportunity to perform up to 4 root canals over the course of the 4-day event. While there’s generally a blend of premolars and molars, it really depends on the dentist’s comfort level, and I take care to customize the experience as much as possible for each dentist. Rather than watch over my shoulder, dentists themselves perform the root canal therapy for real-life patients.

4. Who are the patients?

Members of the Charlotte, NC community who need affordable root canal treatment. We donate ~$50,000 in care per session.

5. What topics are covered?

The learning material covered over the course of the 4-day program largely depends on the participants and the situations that arise during the live cases. However, every session includes a review of topics from E-School with Coaching, including how to use CBCT, a chance to observe me in action, and skills practice on extracted teeth. In total, participants end up earning 30 CE credits by the end of the course!

6. Are there prerequisites?

Yes. The course is designed for dentists who have already enrolled and participated in E-School with Coaching, my online CE course. Those interested in applying must have already completed the first three modules of Coaching and been an active participant in coaching calls.

7. What should I bring?

• Malpractice insurance
• Your assistant
• Loupes (5.0x or higher)
• Extracted teeth for practice (maxillary incisor, maxillary premolar, maxillary molar, and a mandibular molar)

8. What will I gain from this course?

SO MUCH! In addition to the specific takeaways mentioned in this blog, dentists who have already participated in E-School LIVE have experienced greater confidence, increased profits, better patient outcomes, and marked practice growth since finishing the program.

9. When is the next session?

Every session of E-School LIVE takes place at Ballantyne Endodontics, my practice in Charlotte, NC. While I do hold 3–4 sessions per year, they tend to fill up as early as a year in advance. Consult the program page to find out up-to-date information on when the next session is, as well as additional information about the course.

Want A Spot At E-School Live?

If you’re looking for a hands-on molar endo CE course that transforms your clinical confidence, boosts your patient outcomes, and empowers your career—E-School LIVE is for you. I keep E-School LIVE groups intentionally small so that every student gets the guidance they need. That also means spots fill quickly—often a year in advance.

If you’ve completed or are already enrolled in E-School with Coaching, you’re eligible to apply for E-School LIVE and take your learning from online to operatory!

✨ Apply today and take your endodontic skills to the next level. Your patients, and your future self, will thank you.

– Dr. Sonia Chopra