Dental News - Interview: A sneak peek of AO’s 30th annual meeting

Sierra Rendon, DTA

Tue. 27 January 2015

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NEW YORK, N.Y., USA: Academy of Osseointegration President Joseph Gian-Grasso, DMD, recently visited the site of Academy of Osseointegration’s 30th Annual Meeting and shares with Dental Tribune International highlights of what’s in store for attendees.

Where will this year’s meeting be?
The academy will return to San Francisco’s Moscone West Convention Center, a premier meeting location, for our 30th annual meeting from March 12–14. After making a recent visit to the site, I can assure you we could not have a better venue for this historic meeting. The center is adjacent to the Intercontinental Hotel and across the street from our headquarters hotel, the Marriott Marquis. For those who attended the 2004 annual meeting, it will be familiar — though updated and enhanced.

What’s the theme for this year’s meeting?
The theme for the 2015 annual meeting is “Science, Collaboration and Clinical Excellence for 30 Years.” The program will examine what the academy has learned during its 30-year history and summarize current recommendations to address the most challenging conditions in implant dentistry. Annual Meeting Program Chair Dr. Donald S. Clem and his committee have created a scientific program that will take what the profession has learned and show how we can apply these concepts in new ways to solve clinical conditions and dilemmas.

Keynote speaker for the annual meeting will be Dr. Daniel Alam, who was a member of the multidisciplinary team of doctors and surgeons at the Cleveland Clinic that performed the first near-total face transplant in the United States.

More details about these individual presenters, as well as all sessions and speakers, are available on our website at www.osseo.org. Take a few minutes to see for yourself the outstanding program that is in store for you in San Francisco.

Which country will be featured in a single-country symposium this year?
South Korea. This symposium will be moderated by AO members Drs. David M. Kim and Brian M. Chang. All three organizations specializing in implant dentistry in South Korea — the Korean Academy of Oral & Maxillofacial Implantology (KAOMI), the Korean Academy of Implant Dentistry (KAID) and the Korean Academy of Osseointegration (KAO) —have provided speakers for the AO Symposium.

It was my special pleasure as AO president to travel to South Korea with Dr. Kim to plan the symposium. Our busy itinerary included visits with all the symposium speakers, as well as three outstanding dental schools and the leaders of the three South Korean organizations specializing in implant dentistry. We also visited excellent dental product companies and toured two very interesting private practices. The schools, the companies and the practices were world-class.

Tell us about AO’s new e-Poster format.
The academy’s annual meeting will feature the new e-Poster format for more than 310 e-Posters. The new format will allow the submitters to display their posters on the AO website and meeting app, in addition to presenting a poster during the poster sessions onsite. We’re all very excited to be going digital.

In addition to the e-Posters, we had a record number of more than 75 submissions for oral clinical research presentations. Our judges are in the process of choosing the best submissions to be featured at the oral clinical and oral scientific sessions.

Are you excited about the AO President’s Reception?
You bet! It’s complimentary to all registered guests and will take place Friday evening at the Exploratorium, founded by physicist and educator Frank Oppenheimer. The Exploratorium has been described by the New York Times as the most important science museum to have opened since the mid-20th century. Wikipedia describes it as “a mad scientist’s penny arcade, a scientific funhouse and an experimental laboratory all rolled into one. The participatory nature of its exhibits and its self-identification as a center for informal learning has led to it being cited as the prototype for participatory museums around the world.”

I know we’ll all have fun strolling through the galleries, tinkering with the interactive exhibits, while enjoying live entertainment as well as food and beverage stations displayed in various locations around the facility.

Any tips for those looking to enjoy San Francisco before or after the meeting?
The academy has contracted with a local tour company to provide a tour desk available throughout the meeting and conveniently located in the Moscone West Convention lobby for attendees and guests to book specially discounted tours within the San Francisco area.

After the meeting, bring your family and journey north into Napa and Sonoma Valley, two of the most prized wine regions of Northern California, and enjoy wine tasting and exclusive estate tours. Stroll through 1,000-year-old ancient Redwood trees towering 260 feet at the famous Muir Woods National Monument and, on the way back before crossing the Golden Gate Bridge, stop at beautiful Sausalito and stay for a few extra hours, and take the return ferry back to San Francisco.

Of course, your trip to the Bay wouldn’t be complete without walking through Fisherman’s Wharf with its many fine dining establishments and unique shopping. It’s also where you can book a ferry to Alcatraz, formerly a maximum-security penitentiary and now one of San Francisco’s popular attractions. Also, riding San Francisco’s famous cable cars throughout the city and shopping at Union Square are both musts.

What else are you looking forward to about the upcoming meeting?
I’m looking forward to all of the sessions related to collaboration between professionals to ensure the best patient outcomes. AO’s new member lunch is incredible because there is a great deal of interaction between AO’s new members and AO directors. I believe our younger clinicians will also really enjoy checking out “Young Clinicians” social event.

I’m also excited about the exhibit hall and new product showcases, the TEAM Program and the record-breaking amount of clinical research being presented.

We’ve designed the 2015 annual meeting to include a large selection of sessions and activities to choose from, so you can customize a meeting experience that best suits you and your staff. Take a look at all events and register early to take advantage of discounted rates. Also, remember that certain sessions offer limited attendance — don’t wait to secure your place in these very popular sessions!

And please don’t forget to follow AO on Twitter and Facebook to keep up-to-date on new details and opportunities.

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