Dental Hygiene Symposium

Saturday Session, 8 a.m.–12:30 p.m.

Moderator: Wai S. Cheung

Speakers: I. Stephen Brown, Bruce Edelstein, Purnima Kumar, and Thomas G. Wilson, Jr.

Dental hygienists are a crucial part of the periodontal team and play an essential role in providing quality periodontal care to patients. The interactive Dental Hygiene Symposium is designed to elevate the registered dental hygienist as a key partner in comprehensive oral health care. Attendees can earn four CE credits through a series of four lectures discussing periodontalsystemic link, endoscopic periodontal debridement, the future of lasers in periodontal therapy, and implant maintenance.

Periodontal-Systemic Link

Purnima Kumar

Over half of American adults suffer from moderate to severe periodontitis, yet the risk for disease is not equal among all members of the population. Several environmental, genetic, genotypic, and lifestyle-related factors affect the risk for disease, and when some of these factors intersect, the whole is greater than the sum of each factor alone. This presentation will discuss the various factors that contribute to increased susceptibility for disease, and the role of the dental practitioner in mitigating or ameliorating these risks.

Educational Objectives:

• Recognize the interconnection between the periodontium and the rest of the body.

• Discuss the roles of genetic, genotypic, and environmental factors in increasing susceptibility to periodontal and periimplant diseases.

• Explore the role of the periodontist-hygienist team in treating such patients, and in mitigating the effects of these risk factors.

 Endoscopic Periodontal Debridement

Bruce Edelstein

In the treatment of periodontal disease, the dental profession has had two traditional options, non-surgical or surgical therapy. An innovative, third option is available—endoscopic assisted periodontal debridement. This technology allows for heightened detection and removal of subgingival deposits. A novel concept, “The Soft Tissue Management Loop,” will be defined—an advancing, alarming trend. Endoscopic assisted debridement produces results that in many cases can equal that of a surgical approach.

Educational Objectives

• Identify the concept of “The Soft Tissue Management Loop.”

• Explore the exciting, non-surgical treatment option of endoscopic assisted debridement.

• Recognize how results in many cases are comparable to a surgical approach.

 The Future of Lasers in Periodontal Therapy: Science, Hype, or Snake Oil?

I. Stephen Brown

Substantial controversy continues to surround the use of lasers in periodontal therapy. The results of recent research studies suggest that lasers provide a viable alternative to traditional periodontal surgery. Properly applied, lasers produce less bleeding, less swelling, and less discomfort. Lasers treat the cause of periodontal disease rather than the effects, by specifically targeting identifiable periodontal pathogens. The most exciting recent advance in laser therapy is the ability to predictably treat ailing-failing dental implants. Regeneration of periodontal tissues is the gold standard by which we measure treatment effectiveness. Lasers provide an enhanced method for achieving this elusive goal for teeth and dental implants.

Educational Objectives:

• Assess how lasers are used to effectively treat teeth and dental implants.

• Discover if laser periodontal treatment differs from traditional pocket elimination surgery.

• Consider if there is evidence to support these treatment modalities such as LANAP® and LAPIP.™

• Discuss if lasers are a “flash in the pan” or if they represent the dawn of a new future, solidly based on biology and physics.

Implant Maintenance

Thomas G. Wilson, Jr.

The number of implants suffering from peri-implant disease is increasing. There are continued questions concerning the etiology and treatment of these problems. This presentation will cover new data on these topics. The role of foreign bodies, including cement and titanium, found in soft tissues surrounding implants affected by these diseases will be discussed. The effect of early and late colonizing bacteria on the implant surfaces and their role in the production of these foreign bodies will also be detailed. New therapeutic and maintenance modalities will be discussed including appropriate methods for removing biofilm from infected implant surfaces.

Educational Objectives:

• Discover new concepts in treating peri-implant diseases.

• Recognize the role of cement in these processes and how to ameliorate the problem.

• Explain the possible role of titanium particles in the etiology of these diseases.

• Review current approaches for treating and maintenance for these diseases.