Dental Tribune U.S. Edition | December 2013 A5 Ad MEEtiNgS By David L. Hoexter, DMD, FACD, FICD, Editor in Chief The annual meeting of the American Academy of Periodontology (AAP) was held from Sept. 28 to Oct. 1 in Philadel- phia, a wonderful city in which to enjoy a conference. The convention center is accessible, has a friendly environment and informative personnel — and ac- commodates a tremendous number of attendees. Birth of periodontics In 1965, periodontics was officially titled a specialty by the American Dental Asso- ciation. This year, the AAP celebrated its 99th anniversary, with members looking forward to the 100th-anniversary cel- ebration next year in San Francisco. A big differences at the meeting this year compared with past years was the casual attire of attendees: no ties and jackets. Sweaters and jeans are yester- day’s suits and ties. The expensive room setups were first class. The large screens to accommodate the computer images were impressive, as was the commercial support afforded the presenters, eager to catch the attention of the attendees. The implants inundation The AAP is one of the most sophisticated groups of detailed practitioners there is. Its exposure to dental literature, recent and past, is unsurpassed. However, the inundation of the implant field into its life, as seen, too, in the maxillofacial, prosthetic and general practice sectors — and even recently, endodontics — has changed the direction of our profession. Periodontics started out as a specialty that focused on preserving, saving or re- generating the supporting periodontia. Now, it seems that this field is changing its focus toward more commercial objec- tives. This is not to say that saving osse- ous structures to allow more predictabil- ity for implant success by extracting the teeth earlier is not valid. However, the AAP might be better off reinventing itself and re-establishing its direction to avoid being swallowed up by all of this com- mercial enticement. The AAP should once again promote the lofty goals of periodontics and lead the field with its knowledge banner held high. The dental field might consider let- ting the specialty implant organiza- AAP meeting shows profession’s evolution tions promote and improve the field of oral implantology. The major organiza- tions, such as AAID, ICOI and AO, should shoulder the responsibility of letting all the companies sponsor the most recent improvements in the oral implant field. I am sure a huge number of periodon- tists, oral surgeons, prosthodontists, etc., would still be involved. But right now, every meeting of our dental specialty groups is being dominated by the subject of implants. With this in mind, I am confident that, in future meetings, the AAP will con- tinue to include presentations on crucial systemic involvements such as diabe- tes, heart-related diseases, medications and their effects. Implant presentations should be intertwined but should not dominate. Crisp, orderly, informative Getting back to this meeting, Dr. Ray Williams was outstanding as a mod- erator. Drs. Joseph Fiorellini, Jon Suzuki and Hom-Lay Wang were crisp, orderly and informative. There was even a well- presented and participative hands-on course of temporization of implants, because “all of the specialties are over- lapping, and there is no reason not to be prepared to fabricate temporaries and be part of the implant team.” The influence of implants in periodon- tics was well-established with such fine speakers as Drs. D. Tarnow S. Chu and N. Caplanis. It was also most stimulating to hear Drs. Steven Offenbacher and David Paquette discuss periodontal systemic relationships, emphasizing the leader- ship role of the periodontist in the pres- ent as well as the future. The staff of the AAP was well-organized as they greeted attendees with warmth, while at the same time directing the traffic and allowing the meeting’s well- planned flow to proceed without major interruptions. The meeting rooms were comfortable, acoustically and visually superior, and were arranged with the attendees’ com- fort in mind. This year the meeting was appropri- ately dedicated to Dr. D. Walter Cohen. In a recent Dental Tribune article, I referred to Dr. Cohen deservedly as an “Iconic Icon.” I hope and applaud the AAP if it can once again lead our profession and re-establish the goals of periodontics. In doing so, it will benefit itself, the profes- sion and the public. Meeting comentary Diplomates of perio of the AAP (future and present) Drs. Kevin (son) and Jon Suzuki (father). AAP attendees Drs. David L Hoexter, left, and Dean Ray Williams. Photos/Provided by Dr. David L. Hoexter DAvID L. HoExTEr, DMD, FICD, FACD, is director of the International Acad- emy for Dental Facial Esthetics, and a clinical professor in periodontics at Temple University, Philadelphia. He is a diplomate of implantology in the International Congress of Oral Implantologists as well as the American Society of Osseointegration, and a diplomate of the American Board of Aesthetic Dentistry. He lectures throughout the world and has published nationally and internationally. He has been awarded 11 fellowships, includ- ing FACD, FICD and Pierre Fauchard. He maintains a practice at 654 Madison Ave., New York City, limited to periodontics, implantology and esthetic sur- gery. He can be reached at (212) 355-0004 or drdavidlh@gmail.com. ‘The AAP is one of the most sophisticated groups of detailed practitioners there is.’