Over the second weekend of April 2013, the American Academy of Periodontology (AAP) sponsored a collaborative conference entitled “The Team Approach to Managing Implant Complications.” This dynamic conference brought together over 500 restorative dentists and periodontists from all over the world for two days of interactive presentations and discussions on the management and prevention of dental implant complications. The Spring Conference provided a 360-degree overview of how to best diagnose, treat, and manage these complications in a collaborative environment, and showcased the necessity of a close working relationship between the periodontist and the restorative dentist.
As a practicing periodontist, the relationships I have with my restorative colleagues allow me to provide the best possible care to all of my patients, not just those experiencing implant complications. As dental professionals, we likewise understand that the relationship between periodontists and restorative dentists is fundamental to providing optimal care to all of our patients. When faced with tough clinical situations, it’s the collaboration and communication between us that establishes the necessary foundation to achieve successful patient outcomes. Nowhere in this relationship is this truer than in the complex surgical, healing, restorative, and maintenance phases of the implant, mixed implant, and natural dentition restorative process. As more and more dental implants are placed in an effort to restore better function and esthetics for our patients who have lost teeth, there is strong evidence to indicate that vastly increasing cases of implant complications, including peri-implant diseases, can be expected. I encourage you to continue to partner and work closely with your dental colleagues in order to provide our patients the best health, appearance, comfort and quality of life we are able to offer, and to prevent or manage these complications to the best ability our science, technology, and skill allow.
This supplement to Compendium of Continuing Education in Dentistry highlights some of the cutting-edge presentations given at the 2013 AAP Spring Conference. On behalf of the AAP, I would like to extend our gratitude to Nobel Biocare for their generous support in publishing these conference proceedings. If you attended the conference, I invite you to revisit and review the outstanding presentations. If you missed what has been called “the best AAP Spring Conference so far” by many of the regular attendees, I urge you to read the proceedings contained in this supplement, and to join us for future collaborative conferences.
Warmest regards,
Nancy L. Newhouse, DDS
President
American Academy of Periodontology
