Dental News - Meeting review: 2017 Hinman Dental Meeting

Fred Michmershuizen, DTA

Mon. 27 March 2017

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ATLANTA, Ga., USA: Dental professionals from near and far gathered at the Georgia World Congress Center and Omni Hotel at CNN Center in the heart of Atlanta for the 105th Thomas P. Hinman Dental Meeting. The annual event is known for its Southern hospitality, top-notch educational programs and speakers, fun social events and an all-inclusive showcase for the industry’s latest products and services.

The meeting is organized by the Hinman Dental Society, a non-profit organization. All excess revenue is spent on individual scholarships for dental, hygiene, assisting and lab tech students, as well as contributions to institutions that foster dental education.

The meeting prides itself on being a comprehensive source of continuing education. Opportunities for learning abounded — not only in the lecture halls, but in the exhibit hall as well.

Those interested in diagnosing the need for a crown-lengthening procedure could partake in a hands-on course on the show floor, “GUMS R US Crown Lengthening,” led by Dr. Lee Silverstein. Participants used pig jaws to get a feel for surgical, bone recontouring and suturing techniques. It was one of many opportunities being offered here in Atlanta.

Hinman also hosted a Lab Tech Day, titled “Deliver the World’s Most Beautiful Dentistry.” It was a full day of courses designed for dentists, laboratory technicians, staff and students.

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In the exhibit hall, meeting attendees could obtain free continuing education credit throughout the meeting. In addition, many companies offered new and innovative products.

New at this year’s meeting from Medidenta is the Foresight 45 self-generating LED surgical handpiece, for use in surgery, periodontal and endodontic procedures. According to the company, the Foresight 45 incorporates an air-driven generator to power a bright LED light directly into the surgical pocket, illuminating the operative field without the need for fiber optic systems from a delivery unit. The Foresight 45 eliminates the need for multiple components, providing a single-piece solution to your lighting needs with a standard four-hole backend handpiece, according to Medidenta. In addition, the Foresight 45 does not allow any air to escape into the oral cavity. All of the excess air is funneled to the backend of the handpiece, eliminating all possibilities of an air embolism. This ensures an air-free oral cavity, allowing for multiple surgeries in succession while still maintaining patient safety, according to the company.

Attendees could learn about Planmeca Romexis open architecture software at Planmeca. This software networks all of Planmeca’s technology together and combines 2-D and 3-D imaging and the complete CAD/CAM workflow from intraoral scanning to prosthetic designing and milling in one software, according to the company. Benefits of Planmeca Romexis open architecture software include a user interface that eases daily workflow. It is compatible with both Apple Mac OS and Microsoft Windows, and one easy-to-use platform is employed for all patient procedures, from diagnostic X-rays to restorative CAD/CAM. All information is stored in one centralized database, providing easy IT management. Planmeca Romexis software networks all Planmeca and most open-architecture equipment, thus optimizing workflow and cost efficiency for practices, and clinicians, allowing a greater emphasis on patient care, according to the company.

Among many products offered by Kettenbach USA, is Futar bite-registration material. According to the company, Futar bite-registration materials enable practitioners to choose the appropriate material to fit their particular needs. Whether a practitioner is looking for high final hardness, comfortable working times or a “scannable” material, the Futar line has it all, according to the company. Futar can be conveniently milled and easily cut with a scalpel. Excess material can be easily broken off, and the correct occlusal position can be checked in the mouth, according to the company. The working time is 15 seconds with an intraoral setting time of 45 seconds. And because it sets firm, vertical dimension accuracy is assured, according to Kettenbach.

Salvin Dental Specialties unveiled CytoSurg Non-Resorbable PTFE Membranes and CytoSurg Non-Resorbable PTFE Sutures. According to Salvin, the new membrane is sufficiently firm to protect the defect, yet supple enough to drape over the surrounding tissue. It features a textured top surface to provide a scaffold for soft tissue and a smooth bottom surface against the bone for easy retrieval. The sutures, meanwhile, are an excellent choice for bone grafting and implant procedures, according to the company. They are smooth and flexible so knots stay tied and feature a proprietary monofilament that reduces the potential for bacterial migration into the surgical site, the company said.

Shofu Dental Corp. was showcasing its proprietary EyeSpecial C-II digital dental camera, which was developed exclusively with the needs of dentistry in mind. According to Shofu, the camera achieves predictable and consistent clinical photographs for case documentation, diagnosis and treatment planning, patient communication and education, insurance verification, legal documentation and dental laboratory collaboration. Equipped with a 12 megapixel sensor and FlashMatic module — a proprietary system of ring and dual-point flashes — this smart camera demonstrates true-color reproduction with an exceptional depth-of-field range, according to the company.

At St. Renatus, attendees could learn about FDA-approved dental anesthetic Kovanaze (tetracaine HCl and oxymetazoline HCl) Nasal Spray. According to the company, this is the first product that allows for dental anesthesia to be administered through a nasal spray without using a needle.

Henry Schein Practice Solutions, the U.S. practice solutions business of Henry Schein, announced the release of a TechCentral Hybrid Backup Service. The new TechCentral service helps dentists efficiently store practice and patient data both onsite and in the cloud, providing dentists peace of mind about their storage.

These are just some of the many products and services that were available on the exhibit hall floor.

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