CHICAGO, Feb. 8, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Digital dentistry technology is revolutionizing dentistry, and prosthodontists are poised to lead the way. The American College of Prosthodontists (ACP) is leading a two-day "The Power of Digital Design" Digital Dentistry Symposium in Chicago on Feb. 22-23. Now sold out, more than 100 prosthodontists, orthodontists, pediatric dentists, oral surgeons, general dentists, lab technicians, dental hygienists, residents, and dental office staff will be attendance. International attendees from Singapore, Jordan, Australia, and Ireland have registered. Interested parties hoping to attend may contact the ACP at (312) 573-1260 to add their name to a waitlist.
Prosthodontists and the ACP know that digital solutions can significantly improve workflow efficiencies and enhance patient experiences. Since nearly 30,000 oral health professionals flock to Chicago to attend the Mid-Winter Meeting of the Chicago Dental Society, February is the perfect opportunity for the ACP to bring programming on best digital practices to all of dentistry.
"Patients are starting to see how digital dentistry is revolutionizing dental care," said ACP President Carl F. Driscoll, DMD, FACP, who appears in this video about prosthodontists developing digital dentistry curriculum for dental schools, is the co-editor of a recent textbook on the topic, and the co-author of a continuing education article on the topic for Inside Dentistry's January 2016 issue.
According to ACP's Director of Continuing Professional Education Division David L. Guichet, DDS, FACP, CAD/CAM technology is revolutionizing dentistry as we know it. Prosthodontists who have incorporated digital solutions into their practices have found significantly improved workflow efficiency and ease of collaboration with laboratories. Patients treated with digital solutions benefit from the combination of efficient processes, accurate high-strength materials, and beautiful esthetics.
"Prosthodontists offer this two-day symposium to share best practices and lessons learned. Our ultimate shared goal is to improve our patients' oral health outcomes," ACP Immediate-Past President Frank J. Tuminelli, DMD, FACP, added.
This symposium is designed for dental professionals who want to learn state-of-the-art digital solutions for the treatment of restorative patients. Clinicians who want their practices to lead the future of dental care delivery systems are encouraged to attend. Best practices and actual clinical workflows essential to achieving the highest clinical and esthetic results will be showcased. Attendees will receive the latest information on digital treatment technologies ranging from individual tooth restoration to complex reconstruction and rehabilitation.
Private Practice Prosthodontist Dr. Robert Stover of Olympia, Wash., shares how his patients can benefit from digital dentistry's speed, accuracy, and fit.
"I told one of my patients that his new teeth had been around the world and back before they were ready for him to use on dinner, which is entirely possible now," said Dr. Stover. "A scan of the tooth can be encrypted and securely emailed to the laboratory, and for some of our complex cases, the laboratory that can make the restoration is located in another part of the world."
Limitations do exist, however, which is why the ACP Digital Dentistry Symposium is essential learning for prosthodontists and all dentists to share lessons learned, best practices, and opportunities for improvement. For example, an ACP study confirmed that the underlying cause for the unusually slow adoption of digital dentistry isn't the technology or its effect on delivering better patient care. Rather, the slow adoption is due to a lack of understanding of its applications, benefits, and available education and training for its users.
The ACP is committed to advancing the science and study of digital dentistry. The Journal of Prosthodontics, the ACP's official peer-reviewed journal often publishes cutting-edge research on the applications of digital dentistry. Some of the best are collected here. This collection of digital dentistry articles provide a global perspective on clinical applications of digital dentistry, including state of the art techniques used in intraoral optical impressions, and a comprehensive discussion on the use of additive manufacturing technology in fabrication of removable partial dentures.
