Leadership and lecturing faculty
Taught by ICOI Fellows and Diplomates.
Dr. David Chong directs Think Dental Institute and teaches in every module of our implant program. He lectures alongside Dr. Marco Tallarico of the University of Sassari in Italy, Dr. H. Richard Yoo of NYU College of Dentistry, and Dr. Brandon Kang, a board-certified oral and maxillofacial surgeon on the Stanford faculty.

Dr. David Chong
DDS, DICOI, DABOI · New York University College of DentistryDr. Chong has lectured on dental implants since 2007 and has taught dentists in North America, Europe, Asia and Australia.
He earned his DDS at New York University and completed residencies at Wyckoff Hospital and Flushing Hospital in New York, training in oral surgery and implantology. He then finished NYU's two-year Surgical and Prosthetic Implantology program. Today he is Surgery Director and an Adjunct Clinical Assistant Professor in that program, part of NYU's Linhart Continuing Dental Education Program, and sits on its International Educational Committee.
He is a Diplomate of the American Board of Oral Implantology/Implant Dentistry, which he joined in 2017, and a Fellow and Diplomate of the International Congress of Oral Implantologists. He runs a general practice in Queens and founded the Think Dental Implant Study Group, which has met monthly for many years.
My mission is to elevate care at every level, from dentist to assistant, so patients thrive with confidence.
Education and training
- DDSNew York University College of Dentistry
- Surgical and Prosthetic Implantology Program (two years)New York University College of Dentistry
- ResidencyWyckoff Hospital and Flushing Hospital, New York
Faculty appointments
- Surgery Director and Adjunct Clinical Assistant ProfessorLinhart Continuing Dental Education Program, NYU College of Dentistry
- International Educational CommitteeSurgical and Prosthetic Implant Treatment Program, NYU
- Dean's FacultySurgical and Prosthetic Implant Program, University of Maryland
Board certification
- Diplomate, since 2017American Board of Oral Implantology/Implant Dentistry (ABOI/ID)
- Fellow and DiplomateInternational Congress of Oral Implantologists (ICOI)
Courses and study clubs
- Senior Course Director, Basic and Advanced Dental Implant TrainingAIC Education (Hiossen)
- Founder and DirectorThink Dental Implant Study Group
- Co-FounderManhattan Implant Study Club, NYU
Service
- Consultant and AdvisorNew Jersey State Board of Dentistry

Dr. Marco Tallarico
DDS, MSc, FICOI · Sapienza University of RomeDr. Tallarico is an Associate Professor at the University of Sassari in Italy, where he teaches dental prosthetics, implant prosthodontics and gnathology.
He graduated with honors in dentistry from Sapienza University of Rome in 2000. He went on to earn a second-level Master's in Oral Surgery there in 2003 and his specialization in oral surgery in 2005. In 2013 the European Association for Osseointegration certified him in implant-based therapy; he and Prof. Silvio Mario Meloni were the first Italian clinicians to hold that certificate.
His research covers guided implant surgery, digital workflows, bone regeneration and sinus augmentation, and he has published more than 140 papers. He appears on the World's Top 2% Scientists list for 2023. He also keeps a private practice in Rome limited to implant surgery and prosthetics.
"Digital technologies should assist clinicians without replacing them."
Education
- DDS, with honors (2000)Sapienza University of Rome
- Second-level Master's in Oral Surgery (2003)Sapienza University of Rome
- Specialization in Oral Surgery (2005)Sapienza University of Rome
- Postgraduate study, periodontology and implantology (2006 and 2007)University of Florence
Certification
- FellowInternational Congress of Oral Implantologists (ICOI)
- Certified in Implant-Based Therapy (2013)European Association for Osseointegration (EAO)
- National Scientific Qualification, Full Professor (2018)Italian Ministry of University and Research
Academic appointments
- Associate ProfessorDept. of Medicine, Surgery and Pharmacy, University of Sassari
- Adjunct Professor, Implantology and Prosthetic Aspects (2016 to 2021)Aldent University, Tirana, Albania
- Former Lecturer, Oral RehabilitationUniversity of Rome Tor Vergata
Leadership and editorial
- PresidentOsstem AIC (Advanced Dental Implant Research & Education Center), Italy
- DirectorOsstem Implant Community Europe
- Chairman, Prosthodontics (2023 to 2025)Osstem Global Consensus Meeting
- Editorial BoardJournal of Oral Science and Rehabilitation; Clinical Trials in Dentistry
Awards
- Aesculapius Research Prize (2019)University of Florence
- Best Scientific Work in Prosthodontics (2012, 2014)Nobel Biocare Italian Symposium
Memberships
- Active MemberEAO; Academy of Osseointegration; Italian Academy of Osseointegration; Digital Dentistry Society

Dr. H. Richard Yoo
DDS, FICOI · Columbia University College of Dental MedicineDr. Yoo teaches surgical and prosthetic implantology at NYU College of Dentistry and the University of Maryland.
He earned his DDS from Columbia University College of Dental Medicine in 2001 and completed a postgraduate residency at New York Methodist Hospital. He then went through NYU's two-year Surgical/Prosthetic Implantology program, where he is now an Adjunct Professor and the Surgical Director.
He is a Fellow of the International Congress of Oral Implantologists, a Diplomate of the American Board of Oral Implantology/Implant Dentistry and an active member of the American Academy of Implant Dentistry. In New York he founded and directs Yoo Dental Implant Center and YD Implant Seminars, and his clinical work centers on implant surgery and bone grafting.
Education
- DDS (2001)Columbia University College of Dental Medicine
- Postgraduate ResidencyNew York Methodist Hospital
- Surgical/Prosthetic Implantology Program (two years)New York University College of Dentistry
Faculty appointments
- Adjunct Professor and Surgical DirectorSurgical and Prosthetic Implantology Program, NYU College of Dentistry
- Dean's FacultyImplantology Continuum, University of Maryland School of Dentistry
- Master Course DirectorAdvanced Dental Implant Research & Education Center (AIC)
Credentials
- FellowInternational Congress of Oral Implantologists (ICOI)
- DiplomateAmerican Board of Oral Implantology/Implant Dentistry (ABOI/ID)
- Active MemberAmerican Academy of Implant Dentistry (AAID)
Practice and teaching
- Founder and DirectorYoo Dental Implant Center, New York
- Founder and DirectorYD Implant Seminars, New York

Dr. Brandon Kang
DDS, DICOI · Board-certified oral and maxillofacial surgeonDr. Kang is a board-certified oral and maxillofacial surgeon and a Clinical Assistant Professor of oral and maxillofacial surgery at Stanford.
He earned his DDS at New York University and graduated as valedictorian in 2004. That year the New York Section of the American College of Dentists named him NYU's outstanding dental student, and the Alpha Omega International Dental Fraternity recognized his academic record. He then completed a four-year oral and maxillofacial surgery residency at Woodhull Medical Center in Brooklyn.
After residency he joined the multi-specialty practice at Geisinger Medical Center, where his work ranged from orthognathic and TMJ surgery to craniofacial trauma, maxillofacial pathology, sleep apnea, alveolar clefts and dental implants. He now practices in the San Francisco Bay Area and teaches implantology in the US and abroad, including on medical missions.
Education
- DDS, valedictorian (2004)New York University College of Dentistry
- Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Residency (four years)Woodhull Medical Center, Brooklyn, NY
Board certification
- Diplomate (2016)American Board of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery (ABOMS)
- DiplomateInternational Congress of Oral Implantologists (ICOI)
Faculty and practice
- Clinical Assistant Professor, Oral and Maxillofacial SurgeryStanford Medicine
- Oral and Maxillofacial SurgeonPacific Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Center, Oakland and Martinez, CA
- Previously, multi-specialty practiceGeisinger Medical Center
Honors
- Outstanding Dental StudentNew York Section, American College of Dentists
- Award for Academic Excellence (2004)Alpha Omega International Dental Fraternity
Who teaches what
Dr. Chong teaches every week, with a specialist beside him.
The Comprehensive Surgical & Prosthetic Implant Dentistry Program runs five weekly modules. Each one pairs Dr. Chong with the lecturer whose work fits the topic.
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01Week 1
Foundations of Implant Surgery: Diagnosis, Anatomy & Prosthetically Driven Planning

Dr. Chong · Dr. Yoo
24CE hrs
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02Week 2
Soft Tissue Management, Ridge Preservation & Guided Implant Surgery

Dr. Chong · Dr. Tallarico
24CE hrs
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03Week 3
Immediate Implant Placement, Bone Regeneration & Sinus Augmentation

Dr. Chong · Dr. Kang
24CE hrs
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04Week 4
Clinical Surgical Practicum: Cadaveric Workshop & Live Patient Surgery

Dr. Chong · Dr. Yoo
12CE hrs
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05Week 5
Implant Prosthodontics, Complications & Long-Term Maintenance

Dr. Chong · Dr. Tallarico
24CE hrs
108 CE hours in total, with 51.5 of them hands-on in simulation, porcine and cadaveric labs and live patient surgery.
Stay connected
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(857) 262-5307