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04 Dental Tribune United Kingdom Edition | 8/2016 WORLD NEWS Materials scientist Prof. John Nicholson from London has conducted exten- sive research on glass ionomer ce- ments and related materials over the last 30 years. In a presentation he re- cently gave at the FDI Annual World Dental Congress in Poznan in Poland he discussed whether modern dental ma- terials can meet the world’s oral health needs, among other things. Dental Tribune spoke with him about the shortcomings of modern dental materials, re- storative dentistry becoming a two-class system, and atraumatic restorative treatment. Dental Tribune: In your presenta- tion, you argued that most modern dental materials are characterised by cosmetic rather than functional aspects. Where do they lack most in your opinion? Prof. John Nicholson: They lack ease of use. This applies espe- cially to composite resins. Being non- adhesive, compos- ites have to be em- ployed in associa- tion with bonding agents. The func- tion of bonding agents is to alter the nature of the freshly cut tooth surface from hy- drophilic to hydro- phobic, and this requires careful de- ployment of sen- sitive materials in accordance with manufacturer’s instructions. Having created a surface for bonding, the compos- ite itself must be placed. This typ- ically requires placement in incre- ments, with sufficient application of the curing lamp to ensure depth of cure. All of this manipulation is dif- ficult and requires a high level of skill on the part of the dentist. Done correctly, it works well and the resulting repair is durable and aesthetic. However, it is too com- plicated to be the basis of tooth repair in poorer countries, owing to the high numbers of patients, unreliable electricity supplies and fewer skilled dentists. Most technologies seem to become cheaper over time, except dental materials. What are the reasons for this reverse trend? In dentistry, we have empha- sised appearance over perfor- mance, a feature that is not so much of a problem in countries with large numbers of dentists able to replace worn-out restora- tions, that is in richer communi- ties in the developed world. The dental market therefore does not favour cheaper solutions, or sim- pler ones. With state-of-the-art dental ma- terials only affordable in rich countries and a select few in poor countries, has modern restorative dentistry become a two-class sys- tem? It has indeed, and that two- class system applies in richer countries too, where poorer in- dividuals are less likely to be able to afford the best-looking repair materials. Specifically, this means amalgam repairs rather than com- posites. Atraumatic restorative treatment was originally developed to provide a cost-effective treatment for pa- tients in the world’s poorest coun- tries. What have been the experi- ences with the technique so far, and can it offer an alternative for a population with no access to modern dental materials? Reports over the last few years have shown it to be very success- ful. A variety of patient groups, including children, young adults and even older patients, are ben- efiting from what is effectively minimal intervention, low-cost dental treatment. Furthermore, the performance of the glass iono- mer repair materials in the atrau- matic restorative treatment tech- nique is proving to be better than what might be expected on the basis of in vitro studies of the materials’ properties. Amalgam is still widely used, par- ticularly in poorer countries. Are we prepared for amalgam-free dentistry, and what should be done to ensure there are proper alter- natives after the phase-down has been completed? I think we need to maintain the use of glass ionomers and perhaps see how these materials can be improved for this large and important group of patients. We also need to recognise that acquiring a proper understanding of the clinical performance of any material is a time-consuming process and that it can take years to obtain a full picture of how materials really behave in pa- tients. Should there be greater emphasis on the issue of dental materials in oral health campaigns and agendas around the world? Yes, there should. We know that caries is the most widespread disease in humans, so we can a safely assume that damage to teeth is equally widespread. Consequently, in my opinion, we should emphasise the role of appropriate repair materials just as much as we currently empha- sise preventative steps. Thank you very much for the inter- view. Restorative dentistry has become a two-class system An interview with Prof. John Nicolson, UK By DTI BERLIN, Germany: The Dental Tribune International (DTI) pub- lishing group, which consists of about 30 publishers around the world, customarily meets once a year to present its latest products and introduce new partners. This year, the 12th Annual Publishers’ Meeting was held from 4 to 6 Sep- tember at the picturesque Greater Wannsee lake in the German capital of Berlin. Over 50 people from about 20 countries, includ- ing partners from Asia, Australia, Europe, the Middle East and the US, attended. Over the past 13 years, the DTIpublishingnetworkhasgrown significantly. Today, DTI reaches over 650,000 dental professionals in 25 different languages in about 90 countries around the globe. AtthemeetinginBerlin,thegroup welcomed two new partners, from Israel and Iran, who will be pub- lishing their respective localised versions of the Dental Tribune newspaper and providing up- dates on their particular market on local websites on www.dental- tribune.com. Furthermore, the publishers were introduced to one of DTI’s newest publications, the Journal of Oral Science and Rehabilitation, which was launched in 2015. It originated from the efforts of a large group of researchers in- volved in the advancement of implant dentistry. The aim of the journal is to promote rapid com- munication of scientific informa- tion. Released quarterly in March, June, September and December each year, it publishes original and high-quality research and clinical papers in the fields of pe- riodontology, implant dentistry, prosthodontics and maxillofacial surgery. The publishers had the op- portunity to learn more about the DTI Communication Services offering. As the importance of content marketing is growing rapidly in all industries, includ- ing dentistry, DTI established this new division last year. The department aims to assist smaller and mid-sized companies, in par- ticular, in communicating more effectively with their audiences through tailor-made targeted editorial support, video produc- tion, event organisation and pub- lishing. A major topic covered at the meeting was the International Den- tal Show (IDS), the most important trade fair in the dental industry. In collaboration with its German licensee OEMUS MEDIA, DTI will be publishing a new issue of its well-established today newspaper on each of the six days, providing comprehensive coverage of the pre- vious day’s events. For the first time, the two publishers will be set- ting up a lecture forum at their booth—knownastheMediaLounge, a restaurant and meeting area at which leaders in dentistry conven- tionally gather during IDS. At the forum, which will seat up to 200 participants, DTI will be holding Dental Tribune Study Club lectures and press conferences through DTI Communication Services. Moreover, the publishers were informed about DDS WORLD, a website that was recently launched by DTI and promises to become the most comprehensive resource in dentistry. It is a full-service digital marketplace for products, news, e-learning and practice manage- ment, and targeted at vendors, dentists, dental technicians and patients alike. Owing to its com- prehensive approach, DDS WORLD has the potential to become the most important platform in den- tistry and will thus help DTI secure its position in the market, as the importance of online market- places is growing in all industries. DTI further announced the re- launch of its website, www.dental- tribune.com, which is scheduled to go live with a completely new design and layout in spring next year. DTI publishers discuss future strategies at annual meeting Prof. John Nicolson, UK More than 30 publishers from around the globe joined this year’s Annual Publishers’ Meeting in Berlin.