Aesthetic dentists gather in Paris

This autumn, Professor Edward Lynch spoke to delegates gathered in Paris for the sixth annual meeting of the European Society of Cosmetic Dentistry (ESCD) on minimal intervention, with emphasis on the use of ozone and ozonated water.

Prof. Lynch told the audience that the powerful disinfectant properties of ozone are useful for a range of dental procedures and ozonated water can be used in hand washing, root canal disinfection, full mouth disinfection, in ultrasonic scalers, for dental water line disinfection, during the placement of implants, for cavity disinfection and the disinfection of deep lesions to reduce the need for root canal therapy. As the only method of reliably destroying prions on dental instruments, the use of ozone may have far-reaching health benefits.

Prof. Lynch described delivery systems and treatment modes, encouraging all practitioners to explore this area of dental therapeutics and inviting colleagues to contact him on e.lynch@qub.ac.uk for further information about ozone systems and for copies of scientific papers.

Earlier that same day, Dr Irfan Ahmad presented an overview of caries pathogenesis and the role of biofilm, going on to challenge existing paradigms and suggesting that treatment should be based on risk assessment.

The session also included information from Dr Michael Karlstén on predictable bite registration with implant-supported bridges, while Dr Ajay Kakar demonstrated aesthetic splinting techniques for compromised teeth using quartz glass materials, which are easy to place and adapt because of their low elastic memory.

Other speakers covered topics including strategies for successful implantology in the aesthetic zone, chairside CAD/CAM, colour perception as influenced by surrounding structures, and the use of illusions as an aid to aesthetics.

While the lectures were underway, the ESCD offered members the chance to display their commitment to cosmetic dentistry by presenting clinical cases and other evidence for scrutiny by a panel of experts. Successful candidates were awarded Member Certification.

Next year, the ESCD will hold a meeting with other international cosmetic societies. This event  will be held in London on 21 and 22 September 2010. For further information, visit www.escd.info.