Meeting review: 2016 Yankee Dental Congress

One notable find: The Anutra Local Anesthetic Delivery System, which is designed to “redefine” local anesthetic delivery. According to the company, Anutra radically enhances patient experience and comfort while transforming a practitioner’s efficiency and profitability. The key, according to the company, is the age-old science of buffering.

TAUB Products, a company with a long-standing reputation for providing quality dental materials, recently launched Ca-Lok Flowable Adhesive Calcium Base/Liner, and attendees could learn more about this new product at the company’s booth. According to the company, Ca-Lok is a light-cured, calcium-filled resin with adhesive properties to dentin and seamless compatibility to other restorative materials. Ca-Lok is radiopaque and releases fluoride. Ca-Lok is used as a protective liner and can be placed under restorative materials and cements for all deep cavity preparations. With its flowable viscosity and hydrophilic/hydrophobic properties, precise placement and control is achieved once Ca-Lok is light cured, according to the company. It creates adhesion that seals out micro-leakage and eliminates sensitivity.

OCO Biomedical is celebrating its 40th Anniversary this year with a theme of “Changing Implantology Today.” The company recently launched its Biomedical Guided Surgery Kit and System, and attendees at the Yankee meeting could learn more at the company’s booth. In addition, Dr. Charles Schlesinger, chief operating officer and director of clinical affairs at OCO, presented “Time to Change the Way You Provide Implant Treatment,” a session that included an interactive lecture and a live dentistry workshop.

Mydent International was showcasing its new carbide and diamond burs product line. Made of Austrian carbide, DEFEND Carbide Burs feature a fast, smooth, vibration-free performance, reducing patient discomfort and operative time. These burs exceed international standards and are 100 percent inspected by infrared technology, according to the company.

At Shofu Dental Corp., attendees could learn about the BurButler, a bur storage system designed to bring both time and cost savings to your dental practice. Fully autoclavable and designed to grip all shank sizes, BurButler is made of resilient, medical-grade silicone, and it comes in five colors — amber orange, amethyst purple, diamond white, ruby pink and sapphire blue — for easy coding and identification. It does not require plugs or extra parts to securely hold instruments.

Aqua Theater Aquarium Designs, a new exhibitor at Yankee, was showcasing its selection of aquariums enhanced with digital graphics. “We design, install and maintain custom aquariums that house a TV as a background,” said Eddie Hanson of Aqua Theater. You can pick a nautical coral reef scene or a tropical beach sunset — or use some of your dental practice’s graphics. “The idea is to use videos and graphics to create a theme,” Hanson said. “You’ll never be bored with your fish tank again.”

Meeting attendees also had the chance to meet some of Boston’s most highly acclaimed figures in professional sports at the Yankee meeting. Football’s Matt Light of the New England Patriots and baseball’s Kevin Youkilis of the Boston Red Sox appeared at the Top Quality Manufacturing/Glove World to sign autographs and pose for pictures.

Educational highlights

When it comes to higher education, there is perhaps no greater city than Boston. According to Wikipedia, the metropolitan area has no less than 54 colleges and universities. With its continuing education opportunities for dental professionals, the Yankee Dental Congress carries on this great city’s reputation as a center of learning.

The congress offered up more than 300 courses. The Massachusetts Dental Society, organizer of the meeting, in cooperation with the Connecticut, Maine, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont dental associations, put together an educational program with some of the country’s leading clinicians. The program was designed with the theme of the meeting, “Navigating Our Future,” in mind.

Lectures and workshops were offered on every topic, and for every specialty. Courses were taught in the many lecture halls located throughout the conference center, plus in special classrooms right on the exhibit hall floor.

Some of the highlights included “The Anatomical Basis of Local Anesthesia Technique,” presented by Dr. Alan W. Budenz; “The Art of Exquisite Anterior and Posterior Provisionals,” offered by Dr. Shannon L. Pace Brinker; “Clinical Treatment Planning and Problem Solving,” presented by Dr. Robert A. Lowe; and “Simple and Predictable Tooth Movement,” presented by Dr. Brooks Haney.