The 21st annual IMPLANTOLOGY conference 2017 took place at the Prague Clarion Congress Hotel on Friday 7th April 2017. Almost 200 dentists and technicians attended its programme packed with interesting lectures followed by an exquisite molecular gastronomy show.
The conference was opened by Jakub Strnad, PhD, CEO of LASAK, and prof. Jiri Mazanek, MD, DrSc., who appreciated their long-term co-operation and emphasised the progress achieved by LASAK over more than 25 years of its presence on the market. As a pioneer of modern dental implantology and creator of advanced technologies, LASAK constantly contributes to the development of this field.
The first lecture given by prof. Antonin Simunek, MD, PhD, and Dana Kopecka, MD, PhD, from the Implantology Centre in Hradec Kralove (CZ) addressed the question of whether the traditional and frequently used sinus lift method still has its place in modern implantology. In their own experience with 4,000 surgeries performed, the authors have concluded that the effectiveness of sinus lifts in modern implantology has been slowly decreasing and its use should be reduced to a minimum, wherever possible, and showed which techniques can be used instead. At the same time, they emphasised that, in certain cases, this method is still irreplaceable, absolutely indicated and highly beneficial.
Spanish lecturer, Pelayo Antuña Valle DDS, shared his experience with the different prosthetic treatment options that are currently available to deliver highly esthetic results while preserving healthy hard and soft tissues, which is still a challenge even in cases when the surgical phase has been successful. In his lecture, he emphasised the importance of concepts like the outline of the abutments (critical and subcritical) for an adequate transition between the circular head of the implant to the optimal anatomy of the teeth, or the use of provisional prostheses prior to the final restorations.
The launch of the third reviewed and amended edition of Dental Implantology by prof. Antonin Simunek, MD, PhD, et al. opened the second part of the conference program. The attendees had the chance to purchase the new edition of this monograph, the only comprehensive Czech publication on implantology. The team of authors, among others CEO of LASAK Jakub Strnad, PhD, and one of the co-founders of the company, doc. Zdenek Strnad, CSc., worked on the publication over two years.
Dr. Curd Bollen from the Netherlands addressed the question of how to approach patients suffering from halitosis and how to treat them in everyday practice. He explained that different implant brands may cause more or less smell. He summarized the causes of halitosis that are directly related to implants (such as peri-implantitis) and pointed out aspects that dentists should take into account when performing yearly recalls. By way of conclusion, he discussed the method of diagnosis and treatment of this problem which is still regarded as taboo in our society.
Tomas Vosahlo, MD, from Hradec Kralove (CZ) focused on the use of pressed composites for full arch reconstructions. In his presentation, richly documented with photographs, he showed that the properties of composite materials have been steadily improving and modern composite materials are, therefore, a suitable alternative for implant-supported full arch reconstruction. He also shared his experience with the results achieved with composites used on LASAK CadCam bridges after more than five years, comparing them to other methods.
Pavel Kriz, MD, PhD, from a Prague dental clinic (CZ) presented his theoretical and practical experience with implantation and bone augmentation in the maxilla. The maxilla is characterized as a bone with lower density, vestibular inclination of the alveolar ridge, presence of a maxillary cavity in distal parts and faster progression of post-extraction atrophy, which develops in both directions around the sinuses in the dorsal cranial plane. He described his own approach to the treatment of a vertical lack of bone in the distal maxilla using the sinus lift method with an application of augmentation materials and implants supplied by LASAK. The presentation also included statistical and histological results and case studies provided by the authors.
The evening event included a molecular gastronomy show catered by the chef Petr Koukolicek. The participants could taste unconventional delicacies whose appearance showed no hint of their taste, such as the NITRO cappuccino prepared in liquid nitrogen at 196 °C, steaming drinks, curacao caviar with carbonised orange, or apple strudel cubes.
