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Students explore their future options with the help of the ADI

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  Posted by: Dental Design      1st August 2019

Traditionally, dental students go through dental school with limited knowledge about dental implantology. In some ways this makes sense, after all, the discipline is beyond the skills of students at undergraduate level. However, does that mean that they shouldn’t have access to information on the topic so that they can consider dental implantology for the future?

The Association of Dental Implantology (ADI) doesn’t think so, which is why at its highly anticipated ADI Team Congress 2019, it hosted a dedicated Students’ Programme for future dentists who wanted to learn more about dental implantology.

Starting at the beginning

 Taking place on 2 May, the Students’ Programme opened with a talk from Guy Laffan, the ADI Regional Representative for Wales, who spoke to students about why they were in attendance, which universities they had travelled from and what had initially sparked their interest in dental implantology.

This was quickly followed by the first session of the day – an overview of dental implantology titled “Implant Dentistry: A Brief History and How You Can Get Involved”. Led by Aly Virani, this session was the perfect opportunity for students to get to grips with the basic terminology in implant dentistry, as well as understand where and how the field began.

Aly shocked the audience by showing some of the earliest examples of dental implants and then considered why it’s a good idea for students to branch out into dental implantology and how courses can put them on the right track.

He also emphasised the importance of delegates taking the time to talk about dental implants with other students and their instructors, suggesting that students focus on aspects such as treatment planning and surgical skills as both are necessary for success in dental implantology. During the session, Aly likewise spoke of the importance of finding a practice after graduating that will allow individuals to branch out into dental implantology. This means finding a practice that offers support, the right equipment and which is in a location that is likely to have a local clientele seeking this type of treatment – important things to consider for any student looking forwards to their future.

Harriet Beaty, a dental student at the seminar said:

“I really enjoyed the morning session. It has been really informative and supplemented the very limited knowledge we get at dental school. I feel more confident in talking to patients about dental implants now.”

Pynadath George then followed with a charismatically delivered seminar entitled “Implant Placement and Planning”. Delegates were shown what dental implants involve as well as the type of patients who need treatment. Once these bases were covered, he then explained why dental implant placement may not be suitable for some patients, quizzing students on who they thought could receive dental implants and who presented the most risk.

This was a wonderful way to get the students involved and resulted in a lively back and forth where delegates asked their own questions about the suitability of dental implants for patients.

 

All about the details

After a short break, Minas Leventis took to the stand to deliver the lecture “Atraumatic Extraction and Suturing Techniques”. This clinically focused session explored the different techniques used to extract teeth, showing videos and case photographs to help better illustrate the information given. Interestingly, this encouraged students to think of extraction as more than just a process undergoing a single tooth and instead look at how extraction affects the surrounding dentition and the wellbeing of the patient, too.

He then went on to look at suturing techniques and surgical details such as flap repositioning and how to maintain blood clots – essential information for those looking to enhance their surgical skills.

Finishing the lectures was a session by Nilesh Parmer titled “Impression Taking and Choosing the Right Restoration for Your Dental Implant”. This highly instructive seminar covered many aspects of dental implantology, and not only focused on impression taking but also the discipline as a whole, including information such as how many professionals currently offer dental implants and how many are placed in the UK per year.

This was the perfect lead up to the moderated discussion which saw all of the speakers interact with attending students to answer any questions they had about dental implantology, both clinical and general.

Hannah Hodges, a student delegate commented:

“The Students’ Programme was extremely informative and helpful. It was a great day – lots of fun but also very useful!”

 

A hands-on approach

To end the Students’ Programme, a double bill of hands-on sessions helped students put their new knowledge to the test with workshops dedicated to dental implant placement, suturing techniques and impression taking.

Paul Klassen, a dental student from King’s College London said:

“The Students’ Programme put on by the ADI was incredibly well run. The lectures in the morning were a good introduction to the hands-on session in the afternoon. Learning the practical aspects of placing a dental implant, impression taking and suturing was very engaging and the instructors offered a lot of helpful tips and advice. Great programme!”

 

Looking to the future

The ADI continues to help all members of the dental team and professionals of all skill levels to learn more about dental implantology. By hosting a Students’ Programme this year, the association has given a number of future dentists a better understanding of their available options, helping them to remain enthusiastic about their choice of career and have a better understanding of the next steps to take following graduation.

 

For more information on the ADI and all upcoming ADI events, please visit www.adi.org.uk

ADI members benefit from significantly reduced rates for ADI educational events, join online today.

 

 


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