A Time for Growth

Spring is in the air, which means it's time for the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry's annual scientific session. This year's session, A Masterpiece of Comprehensive Cosmetic Dentistry Education, takes place in Chicago, Illinois, April 18-21. I'm really looking forward to attending and presenting this year. This meeting is always packed with fascinating speakers, brilliant hands-on programs, and numerous entertainment events to connect with colleagues. If you attend, feel free to stop me to share feedback on the magazine-your input is vital to our success.

Our April issue is packed with useful information on a number of thought-provoking topics. While reading Sanda Moldovan's article, "Causes of Dental Implant Failure," I was surprised to learn about the identification of vitamin D deficiency as a potential cause of implant failure.

This month's Roundtable examines resorptive lesions, an issue which is often problematic in daily practice. The contributors explore the criteria that govern their decisions to treat or extract teeth in cases of internal and external resorption. I hope you will benefit from these valuable tips as much as I did.

If you are interested in esthetics, read Jeff Lineberry's article, "The Artistry of Direct Resin Veneers." He does a fantastic job of explaining the different materials and techniques necessary to create beautiful restorations.

Finally, in this month's Perspective, Francis Serio provides an eye-opening assessment of dental education. To his point, I believe that dental schools have a difficult time finding patients to fulfill the necessary curriculum requirements for students and as a result, many can only offer limited exposure to certain techniques. At the University of Iowa College of Dentistry where I have been a faculty member in the Department of Operative Dentistry for 27 years, as juniors, students are exposed to all specialty modalities in a block system, and then as seniors, they implement these as if they are in a general practice. I'm interested in learning more about the different ways that changes in the dental education system are impacting our students and ultimately, the care they will deliver after graduation.

Robert C. Margeas, DDS
Editor-in-Chief, Inside Dentistry
Private Practice
Des Moines, Iowa
Adjunct Professor
Department of Operative Dentistry
University of Iowa
Iowa City, Iowa
rmargeas_eic@aegiscomm.com