Dental News - Meeting Review: 2019 Yankee Dental Congress

Fred Michmershuizen / DTA

Wed. 6 February 2019

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BOSTON, Mass., USA: The 2019 edition of the Yankee Dental Congress was held Jan. 31 to Feb. 2 at the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center. Hundreds of courses were offered, and the meeting also featured a number of special events for attendees. In the exhibit hall, companies showcased the latest in products and technology. The theme of the meeting was “Inspiring Innovation.”

According to Yankee organizers, the meeting’s theme described the industry-leading speakers and innovative continuing education opportunities devoted to supporting professional development — regardless of experience or sector.

The more than 300 C.E. opportunities included courses on managing chronic disease and oral systemic inflammation, an interprofessional symposium on the diagnosis and process for treating eating disorders, human resource management essentials for practice owners and a special track of courses for new dentists featuring guidance from experienced practitioners and opportunities to network with others who are new to the profession.

“Treating Worn Smiles,” presented by John Nosti, DMD, taught attendees how to diagnose the different causes of occlusal breakdown, attrition, abrasion and erosion. Participants were also taught the goals and components of smile design.

“Maximizing Success with Anterior and Posterior Restorations” covered three different shading and staining techniques to blend with natural dentition. Presenter Kenneth Miller, CDT, MS, also explained strength analysis and material science, and he reviewed the theory of proper block selection and shade tabs.

“Update on Oral Cancer: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly” was presented by Alessandro Villa, DDS, PhD, MPH. This course offered a review of the epidemiology, diagnosis and management of oral cancer. Villa also helped attendees understand the concept of potentially malignant oral lesions.

Other highlights included “Eating Disorders: Food for Thought,” an interprofessional symposium moderated by David Leader, DMD, and Hongsheng Liu, DMD, and featuring panelists Seda Ebrahimi, PhD, John Nosti, DMD, and Kate Sweeney, RD. They helped attendees understand how oral health is directly affected by behaviors such as self-induced vomiting, binging and restriction of food.

“Pain Management for the Dentist” helped participants learn to evaluate the risks, benefits and alternatives of a wide variety of pain medications, including opioids, and their safe storage and disposal. Presenter David Keith, DMD, BDS, also showed participants how to apply simple risk assessment strategies, including identification and management of patients at risk for substance use disorders.

“Eradicating Edentulism” helped participants identify all clinical, digital and team approaches to treatment, including restorative, surgical and lab collaboration. Hans Peter Weber, DMD, also provided market data, clinical perspectives and provisions that make full-arch treatment affordable, acceptable, and successful.

The meeting’s innovation wasn’t limited to the classroom speakers and C.E. courses. The exhibit hall featured more than 400 exhibitors and several education pavilions displaying a wide range of the latest dental technologies and products. Companies offered everything from intraoral cameras to the latest in restorative materials.

Designs for Vision introduced an advanced photonic design that provides uniform light distribution with maximum intensity. The patent-pending headlights optically focus the light from the LED to provide 45 percent more light with uniform distribution, according to the company. The new LED DayLite Micro HDi uses the new high-definition imaging in an ultra-lightweight headlight in combination with the new Micro power pack. According to the company, the Micro is the market’s lightest and smallest power pack. The complete unit includes two power packs, and each power pack can run up to 10 hours.

Designs for Vision also has added high-definition imaging to the LED DayLite WireLess Mini HDi, providing a lightweight cordless solution with light intensity comparable to many corded headlights. You can choose high-definition imaging with either a wired or wireless design to meet your preference, and either HDi headlight will illuminate the entire oral cavity, according to the company.

At Planmeca, attendees could learn about Planmeca CALM (Correction Algorithm for Latent Movement), a proprietary algorithm designed to address concerns over patient movement during a 3-D scan. With CALM, Planmeca’s CBCTs can analyze and compensate for the slight movement that can occur during a scan to provide improved diagnostic quality images, according to the company. This feature, which is available for every new Planmeca ProMax 3-D imaging system, streamlines the imaging process, minimizing retakes while improving diagnosis. The Planmeca CALM imaging algorithm is one of the latest examples of how dental innovations are improving patient safety and comfort — while at the same time improving the clinician’s workflow, the company said.

The meeting, organized by the Massachusetts Dental Society, in cooperation with the Connecticut, Maine, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont dental associations, also offered plenty of special events.

Organizers said 27,000 dental professionals attended, contributing millions of dollars to the Boston economy. According to the Greater Boston Convention and Visitors Bureau, last year’s meeting provided more than $13.5 million in economic impacts, including: more than $3.75 million in lodging and transportation; more than $2.5 million in food and beverage spending; at least 2,425 Boston jobs supported; $87,000 in local taxes paid; more than $2.1 million in business services; and more than $675,000 in retail and recreation spending.

“We are extremely proud that the Yankee Dental Congress is a major contributor to the Boston economy,” said Massachusetts Dental Society President Dr. Howard Zolot in a news release before the meeting. “It is our mission to create an exceptional and fun experience for dental professionals, so they are eager to attend every winter.”