Dear Colleagues,

Happy Holidays! Can you believe we are close to the end of another year? I hope as you reflect on your year of service to your practice and patients you find yourself satisfied in your efforts to educate, communicate, and restore people's lives with implant dentistry. As I reflect on the impact the ADIA had this past year, I’m elated at the growth we achieved educating so many team members throughout the world, while raising awareness of the benefits of implant dentistry. This year all ADIA symposia included a discussion on why implant dentistry is an important modality of treatment. We focused numerous discussions on the basic fact that implants cure a disease ... edentulism.

I am reminded of a quote from the textbook “Risk Factors in Implant Dentistry,” (Renouard & Rangert 1999) by Professor Per-Ingvar Branemark: “Edentulism, being a serious handicap, should be treated with the utmost respect. A clinical approach should, therefore, include means to avoid or minimize complications and failures by optimizing treatment selection, efforts, and ambitions. Where there is a doubt as to what to suggest or what to do it might be better to refrain from treatment at that time to allow for consultations outside the team or to refer the patient to another clinical unit.”

If you are unsure just how the edentulism disease process affects patients, I encourage you to read the book “The Covered Smile.” I am so pleased Sonja Lauren agreed to share her story this month. I hope all ADIA members have the opportunity to reach out and help patients just like Sonja.

Best wishes for a wonderful holiday season!

Lynn Mortilla

ADIA Executive Director