1 © AEEDC Dubai © AEEDC Dubai © DTI news 1 2 Fig. 1: Running parallel to the conference, AEEDC Dubai exhibition showcases the latest innovations in dental treatments. Fig. 2: Scientific activities, such as lectures held by national and international speakers, are a vital programme of every AEEDC event. Fig. 3: today Show Dailies provide comprehensive coverage of major dental events around the world. At AEEDC Dubai, copies of the newspaper can be picked up in the main foyer. Fig. 4: Drs Mohammed Naji, Majd Naji and Deema Basim (from left to right) met with Dental Tribune International at AEEDC 2018 to talk about the launch of the second season of Smile Masters on YouTube. dition, participants can earn continuing education credits. AEEDC Dubai pre- sents a rich diverse conference agenda touching upon a number of distinct ar- eas of dentistry such as Aesthetics, Oral Pathology, Oral Medicine, Anaesthesia, TMD, Laser Dentistry, Prosthodontics, Paediatric Dentistry, Dental Emergency, Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery and Dig- ital Dentistry among others, which will be helpful in enriching the knowledge of everyone attending the event. The 23rd edition will witness also the launch of AEEDC Dubai Stars. This feature includes a number of panel dis- cussions in which key figures, celebri- ties, and influencers from the dental in- dustry will participate and share their views and stories. One of the prominent speakers at AEEDC Dubai Stars will be Dr Majd Naji, Member of the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry, Chair- man of Liberty Medical Group and star of Smile Masters—a medical YouTube re- ality show that has gone viral in the Middle East. The series revolves around Naji, his wife, Dr Deema Basim, and his younger brother, Dr Mohammed Naji. Over the course of three days, inter- nationally prominent companies and thriving local businesses will be show- casing their latest innovations, technol- ogies and equipment at the event, which has become one of the largest in dental technology. According to the or- ganiser, INDEX, “The AEEDC Dubai 2019 exhibition is the gateway to the emerging and far-reaching dental mar- ket in the Middle East, North Africa and South Asia region.” In this regard, AEEDC Executive Chairman Dr Abdul Salam Al Madani said, “Credited as the largest dental event in the MENASA region and the second largest in the world, AEEDC Dubai has served as a benchmark for excellence in dentistry. The event owes its success to the consistent support of the leading dental associations, compa- nies, industry professionals and acade- micians, who understand the signifi- cance of this platform to announce their new initiatives and launch their latest technologies.” Al Madani also men- tioned that the scientific activities at the event are as vital as the business side. Commenting on the educational programme, AEEDC Scientific Chair- man Dr Nasser Al Malik added, “This year’s edition features many excep- tional educational activities and inter- active sessions that will be running throughout the three days of the event in parallel to the conference and the ex- hibition. In addition to our usual lec- tures, totalling more than 170, and the participation of various regional and in- ternational keynote and prominent speakers at AEEDC Dubai, we have made many new collaborations with well-known dental bodies from the re- gion and the world.” 3 © DTI 4 “Incorporate all future potential problems and complications in the treatment planning” Interview with AEEDC speaker Dr Yasser Khabbaz, UAE © Dr Yasser Khabbaz complications of implants in the perio- dontally compromised dentition. I am going to present many clinical situa- tions where poor implant treatment planning was provided to periodontitis patients followed by clinical recom- mendations for proper management when dealing with implants for those patients. What is the take-home message for your audience? I usually classify treatment philos- ophies among clinicians providing den- tal implant treatment into two kinds. The first one is: place the implant first and deal with the problems in the fu- ture once they arise. Obviously, this is a short-sighted mentality and will cause many problems for the patient. The second treatment philosophy is: consider and incorporate all future po- tential problems and complications in the treatment planning before placing the implants. This mentality is valid for all patients, but it is way more impor- tant for the periodontal patient and I hope the audience following my lec- ture will embrace this. What are you personally looking for- ward to the most at AEEDC 2019? I am looking forward to the perio- dontal symposium within the AEEDC scientific programme, which I believe is the first time that it is being presented Dr Yasser Khabbaz is a consultant periodontist and implantologist at Ambulatory Healthcare Services in Abu Dhabi and runs a practice limited to periodontics and dental implants. After graduating from dental school, he completed a postgraduate resi- dency programme in oral surgery at Damascus University in Syria in 2004. He then joined the graduate periodon- tics programme at Saint Louis Univer- sity in Missouri in the US, where he obtained his Certificate of Advanced Graduate Studies in Periodontics and a Master of Science in Dentistry in Dental Implants. He practised in Hou- ston in Texas in the US before relocat- ing to Dubai to join the Boston Univer- sity Institute for Dental Research and Education as an assistant professor in the Department of Periodontics. Khab- baz is a diplomate of the American Board of Periodontology since 2008 and very active in continuing educa- tion in the UAE as a speaker in the fields of periodontics and dental im- plants. Ahead of AEEDC 2019, Dental Tribune International spoke with him to find out more about his lecture at the event. Dr Khabbaz, at AEEDC 2019, you will be presenting a lecture titled “Implants for the periodontal patient”. What can your audience expect? Attendees should expect an over- view of how periodontal disease can complicate implant treatment from the early stages of treatment planning to implant placement and restoration, ending with the long-term survival and as a full day dedicated to periodontics at this event. I am hoping for it to be successful and to bring some much- needed awareness of this undervalued topic to dentists in our region. As per my observation, there are no regional periodontics speciality courses or con- ferences compared to orthodontics, oral surgery, endodontics, implant and aes- thetic dentistry, considering it is a disci- pline that is related to all these disci- plines closely. In addition, I am also ex- cited, as always, for the great dental ex- hibition to see the latest materials and dental technologies. Regarding future editions of AEEDC, is there anything you would like to see included or changed? I have noticed drastic changes in the scientific programmes of continu- ing dental education events all over the world in the last two decades. They are now more focused on how to perform treatments such as cosmetic veneers, dental implants and root canal therapy, and I think this may stem from demand from dentists with the support of dental manufacturers. But, unfortunately, we are seeing less and less scientific con- tent in those CE courses regarding diag- nosis, aetiology, prognosis, oral biology or treatment planning. This is alarming because it is gearing our profession to- wards experience-based dentistry in- stead of evidence-based dentistry— which should always be the standard for any treatment administered. Thank you very much for the inter- view. 2 AEEDC Dubai 2019 · 6/7 February 2019