Treating patients’ present and future
Featured Products Promotional FeaturesPosted by: Dental Design 16th May 2021
The ITI Congress UK & Ireland 2021, partnered by Straumann, embodies the ITI’s desire to encourage whole team involvement with implant dentistry, empowering individuals in all relevant roles. The programme will deliver honest and pragmatic sessions to help delegates deliver treatment in the best interests of their patients, now and in the future.
Among the highly anticipated speakers will be Dr Charlotte Stilwell, President (and first female President) of the ITI. Discussing why this Congress is so appropriately designed, she says:
“The theme of this Congress – ‘Future Proof’ – is important, not only in implant dentistry, but within wider dentistry. It’s also very topical in my own practice. I have been fortunate enough to provide continuous care for a number of patients through my 30 years in practice, so I have had opportunity to observe first-hand how their dental needs have changed as they’ve aged. It is clear to me that we ‘manage’ their oral health, we don’t cure them. It’s crucial, therefore, to think ahead. How will the options available to the patient in the future be impacted by the treatment you are considering now? These considerations are reflected in the ‘back-off strategy’ concept for implantology proposed by Professors Frauke Müller and Martin Schimmel in 2015. They pointed out that today’s fixed reconstruction should be able to become tomorrow’s overdenture. So, whatever we put together, we should also be able to take apart and do again in a different way. With forward planning this is absolutely possible for implants and their superstructures.
“As clinicians, we need to consider how flexible, as well as predictable and durable, we can design implant therapy for the individual patient. This requires a patient-centred approach to be sure the designs are applicable to their circumstances.”
Dr Stilwell will be presenting a session on the second day of Congress entitled “Implant therapy considerations for the elderly patient”. She will focus on the unique challenges of caring for older patients and how implant treatment may be adapted to include back-off strategies and future-proofing of implant reconstructions for safeguarding their oral health. She says:
“Both cognitive and physical issues can have an impact on dental treatment in older people, and they are not necessarily linked to chronological age. There are also the various health conditions and medications taken to manage these, which can cause oral health side effects and complicate dental treatment. In addition, patient motivation changes over time – if they become less socially active, their motivation to maintain their oral health or to proceed with treatment may be affected.
“I believe the disruptions to dental care caused by the pandemic will play a part in this as well. I have personally seen patients maintain a high standard of dental hygiene into older age, before a sudden illness or hospital stay has interrupted their careful routine and their oral health has changed dramatically as a result. I was very concerned that the 10-week lockdown of dental practices last year would run the potential risk of devaluing the importance of oral health, but I sense that there is a definite growing public understanding of the links between dental health and general health, not least the link to respiratory illness. I am also noticing that many patients are returning to the practice, keen to commence treatment that they previously were only thinking about. I have witnessed this in my own clinic and have heard similar stories from colleagues in this country and around the world.”
When treating these younger and older patients who are now more motivated than ever to undergo implant treatment, assessment and planning as well as treatment technique, choice of implant and use of technology are all important for successful, long-term outcomes. Dr Stilwell continues:
“Based on the ITI philosophy of evidence-based best practice and treatment for the benefit of the patient, we already have treatment protocols that facilitate durable and maintainable results for patients. Starting with comprehensive assessment for determining the complexity of a case, the SAC classification is key to identifying all relevant modifiable factors and risks. This is as imperative as selecting the most suitable implant and making best use of proven technology.”
Though no crystal ball exists, the future of dental implantology will certainly be subject to further innovation and development. There will be a continuous search for solutions that enhance longevity of outcomes and these should include specific considerations for the older patient.
“Over the past five years, disruptive technologies have become evident in many industries, and we are all adapting to these,” comments Dr Stilwell. “We have also seen that we are capable of producing a vaccine in under a year. The innovative mindsets that have been stimulated in the last 12 months, I have no doubt, will already be at work in dentistry too. As tough and challenging as these times are, they do drive evolution. There is a growing number of us who are now very mindful that innovation in dentistry should also address the dental challenges of the future, longer-living patient. We need to be ready to meet their specific needs.”
With its evidence-based foundations and forward-thinking members, the ITI is well-placed to support clinicians and their teams in dental implantology as the field advances. Dr Stilwell adds:
“The ITI has been a treasured academic partner for me throughout my implant career. Its philosophy for treating patients has always fit my own. It has broadened my horizons, motivated me to pursue further study and provided access to an inclusive, global membership, which has been truly enriching and stimulating. The ITI really does provide an invaluable professional journey.”
For more information or to register for the ITI Congress UK & Ireland 2021, delivered in partnership with Straumann, please visit https://events.iti.org/congressuk-ireland/
