Congress on 3-D dentistry exceeds education goals

HATFIELD, Pennsylvania/DES PLAINES, Illlinois--The Fourth International Congress on 3-D Dental Imaging offered attendees and dental media a setting in which to learn about 3-D technology. Dental clinicians and professionals shared their knowledge of 3-D’s past, where it is today, and where it’s going in the future. Attendees were provided with information from speakers and vendors to assist them in their practical application of the expanding technology.The two-day congress, sponsored by Imaging Sciences International and Gendex Dental Systems in 2010 utilized lectures, panel discussions, break-out sessions, and live demonstrations for participation and interaction among those gathered at the event in La Jolla, Calif. Attendee Dr. Christopher Phelps of Charlotte, N.C., stated, “There was definitely a myriad of course topics here, including detailed clinical information. And for those of us who already have the technology, it was helpful to have courses that focus on nonclinical aspects, as well, such as marketing and both medical and dental insurance reimbursement."A new speaker at this year’s congress, Dr. John Graham, focused on clinical findings not apparent with 2-D radiology and staying ahead of the curve when it comes to dentistry’s evolving standard of care involving CBCT. “The dentists that attended the congress were looking to learn more about a technology that can help them advance patient care," Dr. Grahm said. "I believe that they came away with a greater understanding of this and more.” Returning speaker and moderator, Dr. Scott D. Ganz, presented on how the utilization of one beam data provides clinicians with a new confidence to diagnose, plan, communicate, and execute dental implant reconstruction and related procedures such as bone grafting. “It’s not the scan, it’s the plan!” Dr. Ganz said. “Attendees benefited greatly from world-class speakers who illustrated a variety of applications for both general and specialty practices.”Dr. Sharnell Muir spoke on the use of CBCT in conjunction with CAD/CAM applications which, in part, covered the process of in-office milling of surgical guides and restorations. “Dr. Muir's presentation gets right to the heart of how dynamic 3-D technology is—the ability to simultaneously plan restorations and implants in a single piece of software is a game changer for how patient-driven dentistry is accomplished," offered Mark Hillebrandt, director of product management for ISI and Gendex. "She very effectively illustrated the power of a brand new level of CBCT-CAD/CAM integration."Henrik Roos, president of Imaging Sciences and Gendex, noted that the attendees were eager to learn about the benefits of 3-D technology. “We are proud to sponsor this comprehensive educational event that offers dentists the information they seek—how to better treat their patients and how to expand services in their practices,” he said.It was annnounced the Fifth International Congress on 3-D Dental Imaging will be held Nov. 4-5, 2011, at the Gaylord Texan in Dallas, Texas. Visit www.i-CAT3D.com for a course listing and registration information.To read more about 3-D dentistry, go to 3-D dentistry.To comment on this topic, go to community.pennwelldentalgroup.com/.