The 10th edition of the International Dental Exhibition and Meeting (IDEM) opened today. Asia Pacific's cornerstone event in dentistry takes place from 13-15 April 2018 at Suntec Singapore Convention and Exhibition Centre

This year's theme of Striving for Clinical Excellence in Dentistry. The conference began with Dr Angelo Mariotti, who spoke about how implants can play an important role in a patient's life

This was followed by a session by Dr Christopher Ho, who shared concepts of additive dentistry and went into detail on how to select the techniques and materials of choice for various clinical scenarios, as well as how to use provisional restorations to assess aesthetics and occlusion.

The networking sessions at the IDEM Cafe as well as the exhibition floors were equally packed with delegates who were eager to catch-up with their peers, learn about new innovations as well make new connection

The use of digital technologies is a growing trend in most industries, and dentistry is no exception. More than 90 percent of dental clinics are now working with digital X-ray systems, and it is only a matter of time before all impressions are taken digitally using scanners, believes Dr Andreas Kurbad, who has lectured and taught courses on computer-assisted design (CAD) and computer-aided manufacturing (CAM) in dentistry for more than 20 years.

“It’s faster, simpler and more accurate. With the use of modern design software and effective milling units, digital impressions can be directly processed, and the final restorations produced in one treatment session, saving time and money for patients,” said Dr Kurbad, who has also authored a German textbook on the subject, CAD/CAM und Vollkeramik – Ästhetische Restaurationen in der Praxis (CAD/CAM and All-Ceramics – Aesthetic Restorations in Practice).

He noted that all currently available intraoral 3D cameras are optical-based. “This means that you can only scan what you can see, so if there is blood on the preparation margin, it will not be visible. This is obviously a disadvantage now, but, in the future, the use of ultrasonic scanners should be able to solve this problem,” he said.

He predicted that the dentistry’s digitisation will also take another leap forward when data from various devices are pooled for the patients’ benefit. “Already, in the SICAT Function system, the digital recording of jaw movements can be connected with data from 3D X-rays to find and restore the optimal jaw relationship, and the data can also be used in a digital CAD/CAM system for the production of restorations. This is especially interesting for the creation of a new occlusal vertical dimension,” he explained.

He concluded: “More and more materials will be optimised for in-office, one-session treatments. Many of them are already strong enough and have very short processing times and perfect aesthetics. Modern cementation techniques will complete the digital system. There are so many benefits that no one will want to return to the old methods.”
Dr. Kurbad will be speaking in depth about the developments of digital technology at the IDEM 2018 Conference in Singapore in April.

Additive dentistry can be used to solve patients’ complex dental problems while preserving their existing tooth structure, and more dentists should use it, says Dr Christopher Ho, a lecturer at the University of Sydney, Australia, visiting lecturer at King’s College London in Britain and faculty member of the Global Institute for Dental Education and Academy of Dental Excellence.

“In the past, we had to grind teeth down to provide room for crowns made of porcelain fused to metal. Now, we can just bond very thin layers of materials such as ceramic or nano-hybrid composite resin to the remaining tooth structure instead. This is healthier and a superior treatment option because when you remove tooth structure, you are removing the integrity of the tooth and weakening the tooth, and you might also cause inadvertent damage to the pulp in the tooth,” he explained.

Furthermore, such additive techniques help to preserve teeth’s remaining enamel. “When you bond materials to enamel, you get a very predictable bond over the long term, which is good for patients,” Dr Ho said. Recent advances in additive materials, such as the nano-hybrids and new versions of lithium disilicates, also have increased strength, excellent longevity and better aesthetics with lustre and fluorescence similar to natural teeth.

Dr Ho said that additive dentistry is especially recommended for people whose teeth has been worn down due to the grinding of teeth or acid erosion caused by poor diet or diseases such as anorexia and bulimia. Dentists should also be familiar with both direct and indirect additive restoration techniques, and use them either singly or in combination depending on the patients’ needs.

He concluded: “All dentists should have these additive concepts in their back pocket and know when and how to use them.”

Dr. Ho will be speaking on the ‘Additive Approach to Complex Rehabilitation: Digital Workflow Meets the Art and Science of Dentistry’ at the IDEM 2018 Conference in Singapore in April.