These presentations are recorded and available ON DEMAND at any time during and after the meeting.
New Guidelines for Successful Ridge Preservation Combined with Immediate Implant Placement
Mauricio Araujo, DDS, MSc, PhD
The management of the ridge alterations that take place following tooth extraction is of great interest for implant dentistry. This presentation will describe a series of studies that used ridge preservation combined with immediate implant placement for achieving good esthetic outcomes. It will be demonstrated that the anatomy of the alveolar process markedly influences the amount of post-extraction bone loss and clinical success. The surgical technique for ridge preservation, a clinical procedure that aims at preserving the ridge volume within the envelope existing at the time of extraction, and immediate implant placement will be described.
Upon completion of this presentation, participants should be able to: 1) discuss the rational and scientific evidence for ridge preservation procedures; 2) describe the scientific evidence concerning the benefit of ridge preservation and immediate implant placement; and 3) explain the guidelines for a successful ridge preservation combined with immediate implant placement.
Extending the Resorption Properties of PRF From Two Weeks to Four Months in 10 Minutes of Prep Time
Richard Miron, DDS, MSc, PhD, DMD
Platelet rich fibrin (PRF) has been widely utilized in implant dentistry, primarily owing to its ability to favor soft tissue wound healing. While many have attempted to use PRF as a GBR barrier membrane, many remain disappointed by its rather quick resorption properties (two-three weeks). From the lead editor of Quintessence’s 2021 textbook titled “Understanding Platelet Rich Fibrin”, Dr. Miron discusses a variety of methods to improve PRF in routine daily practice. One main discovery has been the ability to extend the resorption properties of PRF from two weeks to four months utilizing the Bio-Heat Technology. Within 10 minutes, membranes can be transformed towards a slow degrading fibrin mesh and utilized similarly to collagen membranes. Recent trends to minimize early implant failure will also be discussed with respect to biomaterial integration.
Upon completion of this presentation, participants should be able to: 1) explain how to transform PRF membranes from 2 weeks resorption properties to 4 months; 2) discuss new advancements in bone grafting utilizing custom 3D bone grafts utilizing PRF; and 3) describe the number one cause of unexplained early implant failure and how to rapidly lower your number of lost implant cases.
Zirconia Implants: An Alternate for Tooth Replacement
Joan Pi-Anfruns, DMD
Your patient is asking for a metal-free alternative for tooth replacement. How well equipped are you for treating patients who request this type of treatment? In dentistry today, ceramic materials are widely accepted in prosthetic reconstruction. Contrary to this, dental implants made from Zirconium-dioxide are not yet part of the standard treatment but can be an attractive alternative to titanium. This lecture will cover the scientific evidence and clinical applications of zirconia implants and will review the indications and contraindications for their use
Upon completion of this presentation, participants should be able to: 1) explain the science behind ceramic implants; 2) recognize the advantages and limitations of ceramic implants compared to titanium; and 3) describe how to incorporate ceramic implants in your practice and attract new patients.
Metallosis: Myth or Reality?
Tom Wilson, Jr., DDS, PA
The number of implants suffering from peri-implant disease is increasing. There are continued questions concerning the etiology and treatment of these problems. This presentation will cover new data on these topics. The role of titanium found in soft tissues surrounding implants affected by these problems will be discussed. The effect of early and late colonizing bacteria on the implant surfaces and their role in the production of these foreign bodies will also be detailed. New therapeutic modalities will be discussed including appropriate methods for removing biofilm from infected implant surfaces and how these approaches may or may not result in new attachments to implant surfaces previously covered with biofilm.
Upon completion of this presentation, participants should be able to: 1) discuss metallosis and peri-implant problems; 2) describe the possible role of titanium particles in the etiology of these problems; and 3) describe current approaches for treating these diseases.
Opportunities, Evidence, and Controversies of Lasers in Peri-implantitis Treatment
Georgios Romanos, DDS, PhD, DMD
Peri-implantitis is a relatively common complication in implant dentistry. The presentation is focused on the use of lasers for implant surface decontamination. The lecture will provide the scientific basis and evidenced-based information about the long-term success of dental implants using the appropriate laser wavelength.
Upon completion of this presentation, participants should be able to: 1) demonstrate the appropriate laser-implant interactions; 2) evaluate the best evidence for treatment of periimplantitis; and 3) present long-term success after laser-assisted therapy.
Is a Soft Diet Healthy for Your Patients? Understanding the Risks and the Benefits
Reva Barewal, DDS, MS
Many people gradually migrate to a softer diet with loss of teeth, dental pain, or ill-fitting prosthetics. Dental implants are often the best solution we have to regain a regular diet. However, we all place our patients on a soft diet during the early healing period. But what is the psychosocial and physiological cost of a soft diet? How long should we place a person on a soft diet? How can we time our soft diet recommendations with patterns of osseointegration to reduce the burden for our patients? What are the categories within the soft diet that we need to know to effectively transition our patients back to a regular texture diet?
Join Dr. Barewal as she explores how masticatory function impacts the swallow reflex, brain health, and food enjoyment for individuals and can become an integral part of the initial conversation with patients about dental implants. Novel transitional foods will be discussed that help reduce the burden of a soft diet, may improve soft texture compliance post-surgically and overall health outcomes. A downloadable soft diet regimen will be provided that can more effectively guide your patients on appropriate choices to maintain compliance and overall satisfaction.
Upon completion of this presentation, participants should be able to: 1) define soft diets and the associated risks; 2) explain the consequence of a soft diet — short- and long-term — on nutrition, cognition, and psychosocial well-being; and 3) summarize the role of transitional foods in management of the soft diet during the post-implant healing period.
Biological Assessment of Used Dental Implant Healing Abutments: Is Surface Detoxification a Realistic Expectation?
Aniruddh Narvekar, BDS, MS
Once exposed to the oral environment, healing abutments become contaminated from several sources which may play a fundamental role in shaping the immune response in proximity to dental implants, Manufacturers recommend healing abutments are for single use. However, it is well known that clinicians re-use healing abutments following decontamination and sterilization methods available in clinical settings. This lecture will present the findings of a study evaluating four decontamination strategies, available in most clinical settings, to determine the extent to which biomaterial can be removed on used healing abutments and secondly to determine the degree to which decontaminated healing abutments trigger an inflammatory response in-vitro compared to unused sterile healing abutments.
Upon completion of this presentation, participants should be able to: 1) discuss the current literature on the decontamination of used dental implant healing abutments; 2) recognize and evaluate the efficacy of four common decontamination strategies on removal of biomaterial from used dental implant healing abutments; and 3) explain the potential for re-used healing abutments to trigger an inflammatory response in-vitro compared to unused sterile healing abutments.