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Dental Tribune Middle East & Africa Edition | 6/2016 hygiene tribune D2 Biofilm Removal- An Innovative Approach ByDr.WongLiBeng,Singapore Biofilmrevisited It would not be an exaggeration to say that without the formation of biofilminthemouth,oralhygienists and periodontists would never have existed. The oral cavity is a dynamic environment, where there is a con- stant accumulation of microorgan- isms, embedded within an extracel- lular polymeric matrix, that adhere tothetoothsurfaceoranyhardnon- sheddingmaterial[1].Withinthebio- film, the microorganisms interact via quorum sensing, pretty much like how we exchange greetings, marketing tips, and Christmas gifts with the residents living nearby in a neighborhood setting. This “friendly exchange” among the microorgan- isms may increase their virulence level and antibiotic resistance in multiplefoldscomparedtothemex- isting separately in planktonic state. Thus, mechanical removal is still the mainstay of treatment for biofilm- initiated conditions like caries, gingi- vitisandperiodontitis. Dental plaque represents a true bio- film, and its existence can easily be revealedtothepatientsusingplaque disclosing agents (Figure 1). Its po- tential to calcify to form calculus increases the difficulty for removal and makes it all the more impor- tant to eradicate it in a timely or prophylactic manner. Conventional removal of sub-gingival plaque in- cludes the use of ultrasonic scalers or hand instrumentation, while rub- ber cups with prophylaxis polish- ing agents can be used to remove supra-gingival plaque. The types of abrasive particles incorporated in the polishing pastes include pum- ice, aluminum oxide, silicon carbide, garnet, feldspar, zirconium silicate, emery, perlite etc. These conven- tional treatment modalities have been shown to be effective in plaque removal and restoring patients back to gingival health. However, there have been concerns regarding ex- tensive tooth hard-substance loss and patient comfort and experience during treatment which may affect patient compliance to proceed with the maintenance phase after initial periodontaltherapy.Thus,extensive research and technological innova- Air polishing with the appropriate powder: Its indications have been extended from biofilm removal for natural teeth to a new state of preventive, efficient and comfortable care in implant maintenance and management of peri-implantitis. Figure1 Dr.GeorgeSanoop,UAE Dr.LaraSawayaJammoul,UAE RobynWatson,IFDH,Australia Dr.MarounDagher,Lebanon Dr.NijadMina,DDS,MSc,MRDM,Lebanon Assist.Prof.NadimMokbel,Lebanon DelegatesduringPannelDiscussionat theDentalHygienist Seminar Figure2 tions have been carried out in recent years to come out with a more novel approachforbiofilmremoval. ÿPage D4 ◊PageD1 - Dr. Nijad Mina, DDS, MSc, MRDM, Lebanon (PHD from Saint Joseph University Lebanon, Al Maghrabi Dental Clinics - Dammam - Saudi Arabia) - Dr. Lara Sawaya Jammoul, UAE (Consultant for HAAD, Tajmeel Den- talCenterAbuDhabi,UAE) - Assist. Prof. Nadim Mokbel, Leba- non (Head of Periodontology De- partment, Saint Joseph University Lebanon) - Dr. Maroun Dagher, Lebanon (Sen- ior Lecturer at Saint Joseph Univer- sityLebanon) Seven lectures took place through- out the day with each session finish- ing off with heated debates at the Panel Discussion which was hosted by the chairman Professor Crawford Bain, Professor & Program Director in Periodontics at Hamdan Bin Mo- hammedCollegeofDentalMedicine inDubai,inUAE. Dental hygienists, as part of the den- tal team enjoyed this event under the seminar theme “Dental Hygiene – Challenges and Opportunities for the Dental Professionals”. A total of 273 dental professionals expanded their knowledge with the scientifi- cally based topics and the modern concepts in dental fields. To reach the goal, the initiator had included pre- and post- seminar hands-on courses in distinct dental topics. The dental hygienists were able to practice and master new techniques applied which will be imperative in theirfuturework. Titlesponsorandpatronofthisocca- sion was Colgate through its Colgate OralCareAcademy,withvastexperi- ence in education and is recognized amongsttheleadersintheindustry. CAPP will once again organize this masterfuleventon03-04November 2017 at the Intercontinental Hotel in Dubai Festival City and all interna- tional dental professionals interest- edarecordiallyinvited.