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February 2016 — Vol. 11, No. 2 www.dental-tribune.com IMPLANT TRIBUNE The World’s Dental Implant Newspaper · U.S. Edition Dr. Frank Spear’s presentation will kick off the AO Annual Meeting By AO Staff D r. Frank Spear will open the Academy of Osseointegra- tion’s (AO) Annual Meeting with his presentation, “Glo- balization of Training, Education and Comprehensive Collaborative Treatment Planning in Implant Dentistry: Under- standing the Risks and Rewards.” Spear has been restoring implants for 30 years and believes technique is one thing but perspective is another. “When you have been in practice long enough, you start asking different ques- tions about what’s a best practice,” Spear explains. “You get to see what performs well and what doesn’t.” Though most of his cases have worked out well, he admits that, looking back, he might have han- dled some differently. Clinicians should consider both the risks and rewards for patients and what’s ahead for them in their life when placing implants. Spear will suggest key ques- tions to ask when weighing risk vs. re- ward, such as: • What is the age of the patient? • What other conditions of the patient’s health should I consider before I place an implant? • Can I delay this implant and save the tooth for the benefit of a patient’s long- term dental care? • What can I do to help prolong the life of the restoration I use on top of the im- plant? • What’s going to happen next if some- thing fails? Spear will also cover the globalization of training and education, and compre- hensive and collaborative treatment planning. Using the evolution of implant dentist- ry over the past three decades, his aim is to identify the best practices today, us- ing the history of the science as a back- Sunny San Diego will be the site of the 31st AO Annual Meeting this Feb. 17–20. Photo/www.freeimages.com Questions to ask when weighing risk vs. reward ground for their development. “We honestly didn’t know what we were doing in the ’80s — we were learning and flying by the seat of our pants. Technolo- gy matured, and we improved in the ’90s and even more in the 2000s. And now we know what works, but we also know what doesn’t work,” Spear explained. “It’s a good timeframe in the history of implants to look back at what we’ve done with a different perspective on it.” Following Spear’s presentation, clini- cians from around the world will present in the opening symposium on the risks and rewards for various topics of concern for today’s dental implant professional. From grafting with growth factors or biologics to not grafting at all, to bone augmentation and even guided surgery, there are pros and cons to many of the decisions and treatments from which dentists choose. Spear believes the AO Annual Meeting is a great way for clinicians to stay cur- rent on the best practices of implant den- tistry. He has always enjoyed the learn- ing aspect of the meeting collaborating with the best and brightest clinicians from around the world. “I enjoy getting to hear really bright people who are doing a lot, especially in- volved with research,” he said. “They are answering a lot of questions we’ve had for years, but we haven’t had the research answers for them.” The 31st AO Annual Meeting is set for Feb. 17-20 in San Diego. You can register to attend at www.osseo.org. Follow AO on Facebook and Twitter using #AO2016 to stay up-to-date. Dr. Frank Spear