Dental Tribune United Kingdom Edition

T he Clinical Innova- tions Conference 2012, organised by Smile-on and the AOG and in associa- tion with The Dental Direc- tory, was a fantastic success, boasting world-class speak- ers, cutting edge topics and practical advice for the many dental professionals in attend- ance. Held last month at the Mil- lennium Gloucester Hotel in London, the event saw more than 400 visitors from across the country come together for the two-day event. As befits one of the lead- ing aesthetic and restorative conferences held in the UK, delegates were able to expand and develop their understand- ing of ideas and techniques with help from some of the top names in the field. For the first time, the event included a London Deanery DFT Confer- ence, running alongside the Clinical Innovations Confer- ence, providing more variety and attracting a number of ad- ditional practitioners. The event began on the Friday, with world-renowned Dr Nasser Barghi speaking on ‘All-Ceramic and CAD/CAM Restorations in 2012: Clinical Steps’, to a highly attentive audience. Always a popular speaker, Dr Barghi’s look at restorative materials and the best indication for each was both practical and entertain- ing. After the coffee break the conference split into two streams; Dr Wyman Chan and Dr Anthony Roberts. Dr Chan gave a lecture on ‘Mod- ern Bleaching Techniques’. As a dedicated tooth-whitening dentist, Dr Chan focussed on bleaching techniques and the science behind the products he uses, as well as running a live demonstration alongside his lecture, with his dental nurse. Simultaneously, Anthony Roberts spoke about ‘The Periodontal Jigsaw: Putting it all Together’. Looking at what a measure of success in periodontal treatment might mean for both clinicians and patients, Dr Roberts discussed BPE charting and the jour- ney of diagnosis. He also ex- plained the clinician’s role as motivator, communicator and educator in addition to their clinical capacity for the best treatment for patients. The afternoon continued the high standard of speakers, with Richard Kahan giving an enthusiastic talk on ‘New Ho- rizons in Endodontic Diagno- sis and Treatment Planning’. Comparing the dental and medical industries, Richard highlighted the issue that den- tistry has a far smaller range of tests to use when diagnos- ing a patient’s complaint. In fact, the only truly objective test is an X-Ray. This is not however, a totally reliable tool, as its limitations can af- fect the results shown. If an X- Ray does not show a specific problem that does not neces- sarily mean there is nothing wrong – if a lesion for exam- ple is limited to cancellous bone, an X-Ray will not show it at all. In effect, an X-Ray gives a ‘shadow’ of the tooth struc- ture, so a 2nd and 3rd dimen- sion is needed for an accurate diagnosis. The Limited Vol- ume Cone Beam Computed Tomography (CBCT) gives this, and allows for a reliable and immediate diagnosis; preventing the possibility of working on the wrong tooth and causing more problems than existed originally. Nasser Barghi, Mhari Cox- on and Fraser McCord then separated the conference into three streams, speaking on ‘Bonded All Ceramic Restora- tions in 2012’, ‘Effective Bio- film Management’ and ‘Diag- nosis of Complete Denture Problems’ respectively. Fraser McCord took over the lectures to discuss the best techniques for diagnos- ing problems with complete dentures. He was quick to es- tablish five main areas where problems arise: • Support (resistance to move- ment towards the tissues) • Retention (resistance to movement away from the tis- sues) • Stability (resistance to move- ment by horizontal forces) • Appearance • Miscellaneous To diagnose each, Dr Mc- Cord recommended a hands- on approach, tracing the den- tures while in the patients’ mouths to find where prob- lems could be occurring. Dr McCord concluded his lecture with a few pointers to aid success with complete dentures. The first was that practitioners should ensure they use the suitable diagnos- tic treatment with confidence and competency. Patients’ expectations should also be kept realistic and the dentures should be age appropriate, helping them to look as natu- ral as possible. Finally, good communication with the tech- From strength to strength – Clinical Innovations Conference 2012 The ninth annual Clinical Innovations Conference has been hailed a‘fantastic success’ from delegates and organisers alike.DentalTribune was there... Visitors receive their passes and day programmesInnovation in practice Delegates and exhibitors mingle ‘Visitors were able to expand and develop their understanding of ideas and techniques with help from some of the top names in the field’ June 4-10, 20122 CIC 2012 United Kingdom Edition