More than just teeth

The Australian Dental Association’s 38th Dental Congress May 1 – 4 features an international cohort of 2000 dentists who will reveal that 21st century dentistry is about so much more than just teeth.

Stories emerging so far:

*Dentists diagnosing before the doctor: a presentation from a dentist on how the mouth is a key part of the gastrointestinal system. Anything that happens anywhere else along the gastrointestinal system can occur in the mouth and sometimes occurs there before it occurs elsewhere. Conditions such as ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease can sometimes be diagnosed from the mouth, as can some types of leukaemia and even measles.

*Dentists using robots: a Sydney dentist on use of robots to improve service delivery. He scans the mouth using an algorithm to match or improve on the patient’s original condition, then uses a robot with two ‘arms’ to carve it into a specific size and shape to match the missing teeth and tissue. At Congress he will talk on the latest in robots, digital scanning with AI.

*The paediatric dentist in Adelaide taking out teeth in kids as young as two years-old, due to the alarming fact that 50% of kids in Australia have untreated tooth decay. What are the reasons and what’s being done?

*Sleep apnoea oral devices saving relationships: research has found four times as many men as women get sleep apnoea yet it’s mostly women seeking help. The Adelaide Dental Sleep Medicine Clinic sees many patients whose partners are sleeping in separate rooms due to snoring. But as life threatening condition, sleep apnoea has a more serious side. This clinic supplies Oral Appliances which stop both snoring and help prevent intermittent stopping of breathing.

* The animal dentist doing root canal therapy and crowns on cats and dogs. She says not many people know there are all these options for their animal, and once worked on a wombat, meerkat, mandrill monkey, tiger and lion in the space of one day. This Adelaide dentist discusses what’s new in dentistry for animals and will address Congress on how the principles of training for dentistry on animals is the same as for humans.

Plus: digital dentures, dental trauma and the role of mouthguards, and artificial intelligence.

Congress facts: Over 100 speakers, 2000 delegates from 12 countries around the world including the US, UK, Canada and New Zealand will attend over 130 talks, workshops and social events across the four-day event.

It will also feature an exhibition space of 10,000 square metres with over 130 exhibitors showcasing the latest scientific, technological, ergonomic and health-based devices and equipment in dentistry from around the world. Many of the experts and speakers will be