Implant dentists meeting in Tampa share life-changing experiences of patients receiving dental implant therapy

TAMPA, FL — Implant dentists meeting for the Academy of Osseointegration’s 28th Annual Meeting at the Tampa Convention Center, Tampa, Fla., March 7-9, will share their experiences treating patients with the potentially life-changing impact of dental implant therapy.RELATED |The use of stem cells in dental implant site developmentRELATED |Building the foundation for your practice through grafting A relatively new dental treatment whose applications continue to expand, dental implant therapy has some extraordinary stories to tell. Here are some examples offered by Academy members: • An 11-year old Tampa boy born with a partially formed right ear relied on implants in reforming it with a magnetically retained ear prosthesis. After treatment by a team led by prosthodontist Dr. Terry M. Kelly, Tampa, his story is one of amazing improvement in quality of life. • A Central Florida woman, Connie O., who had lost both upper and lower teeth and suffered repeated episodes of choking while eating, at least twice requiring Heimlich maneuvers to save her life, is now excited about the life-changing effect of dental implant treatment by oral and maxillofacial surgeon Dr. Don E. Tillery, Jr., Winter Park. Dr. Tillery performed bone grafting procedures and nerve transpositioning before dental implant placement. She is eager to share her story, “If there is any way that I can affect just one life ...” • A Hollywood, Fla., woman lost six teeth in a bizarre auto accident in which a piece of metal from a truck that was traveling in front of her car came loose, flew through the air, crashed through her car’s windshield, striking her in the mouth and knocking out the teeth. To make matters worse, a lot of bone was lost from her jaw, and her upper lip was severely damaged. When she first came to periodontist Dr. Lee S. Hauer, Hollywood, she already had plastic surgery procedures on her upper lip and was wearing all acrylic removable partial dentures as temporaries. Dr. Hauer collaborated with an oral surgeon, orthodontist, and general dentist in dental implant treatment that took several years. The patient is almost back to normal. • A Naples woman, Katie, had multiple congenitally missing teeth. She was a girl when prosthodontist Dr. David S. Clary, Naples, began treating her, collaborating with an orthodontist, oral surgeon, and laboratory technician. Treatment took 10 years, as they had to wait for her to grow before moving on to the next procedure. She now has a brilliant smile, having undergone a life-changing recovery. • A 27-year-old Newark, N.J., man has a new lease on life, thanks to an Osseointegration Foundation Charitable Grant and a new set of teeth, fixed by 15 dental implants provided by an AO member team. “It makes me feel born again,” Williams says. “I can chew. I can eat chicken, cookies, and crackers … I don’t want to lose these teeth. I brush and floss my teeth every day.” Dr. Albert Yoo, Bayside, N.Y., coordinated the Williams treatment. Other newsmaking presentations include: Applying an innovative concept that links computer technologies in a totally virtual execution, a Boston, Mass., dental team led by Dr. Paul A. Schnitman has increased the precision of dental implant placement and reduced the number of patient visits, while maintaining a success rate of 100%. Dental implants placed immediately after a tooth is extracted are just as stable months later as those placed after the extraction site has been given time to heal, Drs. Tara L. Aghaloo and Joan Pi-Anfruns, Los Angeles, Calif., report. Their findings have great significance for patients who want to shorten the conventional implant process, which calls for waiting for the site to heal before placing an implant. The emphasis in the scientific program for the AO Annual Meeting will be on achieving quality and leveraging the advantage conferred by the interdisciplinary team approach. The Annual Meeting program will focus on the future with the theme, “Moving Forward: Evidence, Experience, Excellence.” The Opening Symposium Thursday, March 7, features some of the biggest names in implant dentistry. Leading off will be researcher/clinician Lyndon F. Cooper, DDS, PhD, Chapel Hill, N.C., on the topic, “Translating Evidence Into Treatment Predictability: What Evidence Do We Have? What Do We Need?” Dr. Cooper is Stallings Distinguished Professor of the University of North Carolina Department of Prosthodontics and a member of the Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics in the UNC School of Medicine. Other Opening Symposium topics and speakers are:• Practical and Predictable Surgical Approaches in the Esthetic Zone: Multiple Challenges, Daniel Buser, DDS, DMD, Bern, Switzerland. Dr. Buser will present surgical approaches in the esthetic zone developed at the University of Bern, which offer successful outcomes with high predictability. • The Dental Implant: What Are the “Right” Implants for Today’s Indications? Surfaces, Connections, and Flexibility, Clark M. Stanford, DDS, PhD, Iowa City, IA. His presentation will show how the predictability of the process of tooth replacement with dental implants is becoming enhanced through the applications of new technologies expanding on our long-established protocols for implant therapy. • Implant Dentistry: The Interdisciplinary Advantage, Richard D. Roblee, DDS, MS, orthodontist from Fayetteville, Ark.; Edward P. Allen, DDS, PhD, periodontist from Dallas, TX; and Robert R. Winter, DDS, prosthodontist from Scottsdale, Ariz. Their presentation will focus on utilizing an interdisciplinary approach to maximize comprehensive results in implant dentistry. Saturday’s Closing Symposium addresses the topic, “Where Are We Today and What Does the Future Hold?” Speakers will address esthetic parameters of tooth replacement, the role of team in implant dentistry, peri-implant tissue management, and the evolving role of radiology in improving predictability. Speakers and their topics are: • Urs C. Belser, DMD, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland, Contemporary Implant-Assisted Options for Patients with High Esthetic Demands: Where Are We Today and Where Will We Be Tomorrow? Dr. Belser will discuss the rationale for an early placement/early loading concept for replacement of extracted teeth. • David A. Garber, DMD, Henry Salama, DMD, and Maurice A. Salama, DMD, Atlanta, Ga., What Was, What Is and What Will Be: The Evolving Role of Team in Implant Dentistry. Their discussion will focus on a defined algorithm for the interdisciplinary team. • Joseph Y.K. Kan, DDS, MS, Loma Linda, Calif., Peri-Implant Tissues in the Esthetic Zone: What Do We Really Know and What Can We Realistically Achieve? Focusing on current implant treatment philosophies and methodologies, Dr. Kan will cover diagnosis and treatment planning, surgical, prosthetic management of soft and hard tissue for optimal anterior dental implant esthetics. • William C. Scarfe, DDS, BDS, MS, Louisville, Ky, The Evolving Role of Radiology in Improving Treatment Predictability in Implant Therapy. Dr. Scarfe’s presentation will provide a closer look at how CBCT imaging will provide the 3D framework for dental implant therapy totally within the digital domain, thereby improving treatment predictability. Friday morning’s program features the highly successful parallel Surgical and Restorative Tracks. Speakers include Drs. Craig Misch, Sarasota, Fla., Robert Marx, Miami, Fla., Paul Fugazzotto, Milton, Mass., Eduardo Lorenzana, San Antonio, TX, Dennis Shanelec, Santa Barbara, Calif., Hideaki Katsuyama, Yokohama, Japan,Thomas Wilson, Dallas, TX, Brody Hildebrand, Dallas, TX, Ronald Jung, Zurich, Switzerland, Hans-Peter Weber, Boston, Mass., Stephen Parel, Dallas, TX, German Gallucci, Boston, Mass., Mario Roccuzzo, Torino, Italy, and J. Robert Kelly, Farmington, Conn. Complete program information is available through the Academy’s website.