DT Asia Pacific Autumn, 2020

IDEM 2020 succeeds as online event / Paradigm shift in dentistry / BISCO DENTAL PRODUCTS / IDS to be hybrid event in 2021 / How dentists and pharmacists can collaborate and improve patients health / Dental researcher is developing more aesthetic crowns for children / COVID-19 and the potential for dental reform

Open PDF View E-paper Edit Epaper Edit Epaper ads save

Table of contents

Open Link

Open Link

) [8] => Array ( [image_url] => Array ( [2000] => https://epaper-dental-tribune.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/80580-d4cd37cc/2000/page-7.jpg [1000] => https://epaper-dental-tribune.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/80580-d4cd37cc/1000/page-7.jpg [200] => https://epaper-dental-tribune.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/80580-d4cd37cc/200/page-7.jpg ) [key] => Array ( [2000] => 80580-d4cd37cc/2000/page-7.jpg [1000] => 80580-d4cd37cc/1000/page-7.jpg [200] => 80580-d4cd37cc/200/page-7.jpg ) [ads] => Array ( [0] => Array ( [post_data] => WP_Post Object ( [ID] => 80584 [post_author] => 0 [post_date] => 2024-10-24 00:45:19 [post_date_gmt] => 2024-10-24 00:45:19 [post_content] => [post_title] => epaper-80580-page-8-ad-80584 [post_excerpt] => [post_status] => publish [comment_status] => closed [ping_status] => closed [post_password] => [post_name] => epaper-80580-page-8-ad-80584 [to_ping] => [pinged] => [post_modified] => 2024-10-24 00:45:19 [post_modified_gmt] => 2024-10-24 00:45:19 [post_content_filtered] => [post_parent] => 0 [guid] => https://e.dental-tribune.com/ad/epaper-80580-page-8-ad/ [menu_order] => 0 [post_type] => ad [post_mime_type] => [comment_count] => 0 [filter] => raw ) [id] => 80584 [id_hash] => 705342d4294b45cd89d5bd2e97d6280be83ff6a86192b9337c49c83dea52bf60 [post_type] => ad [post_date] => 2024-10-24 00:45:19 [fields] => Array ( [url] => https://de.dental-tribune.com/ [link] => URL ) [permalink] => https://e.dental-tribune.com/ad/epaper-80580-page-8-ad-80584/ [post_title] => epaper-80580-page-8-ad-80584 [post_status] => publish [position] => 77.743902439024,84.861407249467,16.463414634146,11.087420042644 [belongs_to_epaper] => 80580 [page] => 8 [cached] => false ) ) [html_content] =>

Open Link

) ) [pdf_filetime] => 1729730719 [s3_key] => 80580-d4cd37cc [pdf] => DTAP_Autumn2020.pdf [pdf_location_url] => https://e.dental-tribune.com/tmp/dental-tribune-com/80580/DTAP_Autumn2020.pdf [pdf_location_local] => /var/www/vhosts/e.dental-tribune.com/httpdocs/tmp/dental-tribune-com/80580/DTAP_Autumn2020.pdf [should_regen_pages] => 1 [pdf_url] => https://epaper-dental-tribune.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/80580-d4cd37cc/epaper.pdf [pages_text] => Array ( [1] =>

DENTALTRIBUNE
The World’s Dental Newspaper · Asia Pacific Edition

Published in Hong Kong

www.dental-tribune.asia

PRODUCT HIGHLIGHT
5 UNIQUE BENEFITS
OF USING
THERACAL LC

Autumn 2020 | Vol. 19, No. 1

IDS COLOGNE 2021

BISCO Dental presents its newest,
light-cured, resin-modified calcium
silicate TheraCal LC for restorative
dentistry purposes.

The organisers of IDS have set up a
hybrid IDS task force to implement
a number of digital tools for the
2021 event.

” Page 04

INTERVIEW

Professor Richard Watt spoke
about how points of emphasis in
dentistry may change in a
post-pandemic world.

” Page 05

” Page 08

IDEM 2020 succeeds as online event
Diverse online learning opportunities and virtual exhibition drew over 3,600 visitors.
By Dental Tribune International
SINGAPORE: For the first time, the
International Dental Exhibition
and Meeting (IDEM) was conducted online. The event, which
was organised for the dental community by Koelnmesse and the
Singapore Dental Association, was
held from 19 June to 19 August
2020.
According to the organisers,
3,615 attendees from 54 countries
and 304 exhibitors from 36 countries participated over a period of
two months in the first edition of
the event to be held online. The
conference featured a mix of 27
conference sessions, both live and
pre-recorded, conducted by 28
local and international speakers.
The online conference covered a
wide array of topics, which provided something for every dental
practitioner. The digital event also
featured several networking activities for all attendees, including
three networking nights, a leader
board competition and an online
business matching programme.
As for the virtual exhibition
part of the event, Koelnmesse re-

ported that 80% of the companies
who showcased their products expressed that they are likely to recommend IDEM to their colleagues
and friends and are likely to return to another event organised
by Koelnmesse and the Singapore
Dental Association. A total of
6,658 booth views in the digital
exhibition hall were generated
during the period.
Fiona Yeo, who works in the
marketing department of 3M Singapore, said: “IDEM 2020 has enabled 3M to gain an additional
customer touchpoint during this
time where the whole dental community is navigating through the
recovery. Thank you IDEM for providing us a platform to continue
educating and sharing our latest
solutions alongside other industry counterparts.”
Numbers show that event attendees were as happy as the companies were about IDEM 2020. A
total of 96% said that they would
recommend the event to their
friends and colleagues, and 83%
are planning to return to the next
edition, which will take place in
two years’ time. Also, attendees

When the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic put a hold on on-site dental events, IDEM 2020 was transformed into an online experience. (Image: metamorworks/Shutterstock)

showed satisfaction with regard to
the educational programme. Attendee Dr Shirlyn Ong said: “The
digital platform has enabled me to
enjoy the sessions in my own time
and at my own pace, allowing me
to strike a great balance between
work and family.”

“It was an extraordinary year
for everyone, and we would like to
extend our heartfelt gratitude to
all who have participated and supported us in making IDEM’s debut
as a fully digital event in just eight
weeks,” the event organisers said.

IDEM is scheduled to return to
its established physical format
from 8 to 10 April 2022 at a new
venue, the Sands Expo and Convention Centre at Marina Bay
Sands in Singapore.

Paradigm shift in dentistry
Dr Pallavi Patil on practicing during the pandemic.
By Monique Mehler, Dental
Tribune International

Dr Pallavi Patil. (Image: Pallavi Patil)

At this point during the COVID-19
pandemic, many dental offices
have begun to adapt to the current
situation and resumed their dayto-day work. However, there are
many open questions in terms of
this paradigm shift that relate to
such topics as infection control,
sterilisation monitoring and provision of emergency care. At IDEM
2020, Dr Pallavi Patil from India
presented an online lecture on the
importance of choosing the right
protection and on overall transitions in dentistry during the pan-

demic. In an interview with Dental Tribune International, Dr Patil
shared her expert opinion on the
topic.
Dr Patil, dental professionals are at
great risk of exposure to SARSCoV-2 and, therefore, require
proper protection. In your presentation, titled “Paradigm shift—
dental practice in the pandemic”,
you covered various tips and guidelines. Can you tell us a little bit
more about this?
In this topic, I covered the essential infection prevention protocols and guidelines laid out by

global governing bodies like the
World Health Organization and
the Centre for Disease Control and
Prevention. These include personal
protective
equipment,
masks, respirators, hand hygiene
and device reprocessing and monitoring. The back-to-work guideline toolkit especially gives very
specific suggestions on every aspect of how to start a practice
again after this hiatus.
What are the infection controls, administrative controls, environmental and facility controls
to be laid down before, during and
after treatment are covered. To

this, I have also added some protocol changes with respect to routine clinical dental work, considering the additional requirements.
The topic revolves around the four
specifics: how to mitigate aerosol
production, how to mitigate product contamination, how to reduce
cross-contamination and how to
reduce chairside procedure time.
What was the feedback you received from other dental professionals about your lecture?
Unanimous feedback indicated
that the topic and related discussion had been needed. >> Page 02

[2] =>

NEWS

Dental Tribune Asia Pacific Edition | Autumn 2020

<< Page 1

“Everyone is thinking about how to implement the necessary
precautionary measures and change or modify treatment
procedures while not compromising on quality and results”
There are many webinars and
articles on standard precautions
and transmission-based precautions. But what does one do once
you have put all the precautionary
measures in place? How do you
start the treatment? What are
changes in protocol that you need
to make with SARS-CoV-2 now embedded in our environment? Do
we change the treatment standard
operating procedures or products
or delivery systems?
While most of us have deferred elective procedures to a
later date, no one knows when that
will be. Just empirical treatment
may not be enough sometimes.
We need to know what the exact
changes are, that we need, in order
to make sure that we follow infection prevention protocols completely but without compromising on the final treatment out-

come. We want to continue doing
quality work, so we need to adapt
to the new rules of the same game
which we have been playing for a
long time now.
You have been very active in conducting on-site workshops and lecturing at conferences and institutions. How did you experience lecturing online for IDEM 2020?
Being part of the IDEM 2020
digital conference was an honour.
I have been actively lecturing and
conducting workshops on various
platforms. The digital shift is quite
recent. In India, I have been actively doing those for some time
now. But this is the first time I was
part of such a huge international
platform. My session was planned
way in advance, and that gave me
enough time to prepare. The backend logistics were conducted

smoothly. The team was very
knowledgeable and focused, and
made me feel very comfortable.
The entire thing was seamlessly
done. My sincere thanks to the
Koelnmesse team and the 3M Singapore team for their unconditional support.
How has the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic
affected the dental industry in
India and your day-to-day work?
As with every other country,
this pandemic has rocked the dental industry in India too. No matter which part of world you are in,
there’s no one who isn’t affected
by this crisis. India is a highly populated country. In accordance
with the seriousness of the rapid
spread of SARS-CoV-2, India was
under complete lockdown from
mid-March to mid-July. Too many

unknown factors were involved,
leading to panic and fear.
The government of India was
very prompt and efficient in controlling the situation and implementing treatment and precautionary measures. There has been
a huge uproar about dental workplace dangers, and the scare created because of aerosol-generating procedures has taken its toll
on the overall footfall of patients.
Recently, we have been getting
back to our routine clinical practice with great caution. We are still
deferring elective procedures, but
most routine work has started.
The Indian Dental Association and
Dental Council of India moved
quickly and took control of the situation and implemented rules
and guidelines. The infection prevention protocol is now strin-

gently followed, and dentists are
adapting to the new normal. The
dental industry in India is slowly
but steadily getting back on its
feet.
Do you think that the SARS-CoV-2
pandemic will have a long-term impact on dentistry and the way dental professionals work?
I firmly believe so, but not necessarily only in a bad way. Of course,
financially it has been a huge debacle, but hopefully, that is a
short-term result. However, I
think every situation—good or
bad—can change you. I now see
that awareness of infection prevention both in medical professionals and patients has increased.
That’s a collective good. Dentists
today are thinking of newer and
better ways to work. Everyone is
thinking about how to implement
the necessary precautionary measures and change or modify treatment procedures while not compromising on quality and results.
Of course, we’ll not come out of
this situation unscathed—the
sooner we understand and adapt
to it, the faster we’ll be on top of
our game again.

Poor oral hygiene could affect accuracy
of SARS-CoV-2 tests
Researchers assess effects of oral care on prolonged viral shedding in COVID-19 patients.
By Jeremy Booth, Dental
Tribune International
TOKYO, Japan: A study conducted
at a hospital in Tokyo has found
that poor oral hygiene could lead
to prolonged viral shedding in patients with COVID-19. In the study,
it was observed that patients with
inadequate oral health regimes returned positive results in polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests
for the virus long after their clinical recovery, leading the researchers to believe that oral hygiene
could affect the accuracy of testing for the virus.
The researchers evaluated the
course of treatment of eight
COVID-19 patients who were admitted to the Department of Neurology at Tokyo Metropolitan
Neurological Hospital between 30
April and 14 May. The patients had
passed the acute phase of the disease, but were admitted to the
dedicated medical facility for infectious diseases owing to persistent positive PCR test results for
SARS-CoV-2.
The study found that, among
the patients, the viral shedding
period—the period during which
the virus was still detectable after
clinical recovery—ranged from

one to 40 days. The average viral
shedding period was found to be
15.1 days, but for two patients, Patient 1 and Patient 2, it continued
for 53.0 days and 44.0 days, respectively. For Patients 3–8, two
consecutive negative PCR test results were confirmed within 18
days of clinical recovery.
The researchers sought to establish why Patients 1 and 2 continued to test positive for the extended period. They noted that Patients 3–8 had kept up their personal hygiene routines, which
included regular toothbrushing,
while hospitalised in isolation in
private rooms in the hospital. Patients 1 and 2, however, who had
mental and/or psychiatric disorders, had not voluntarily brushed
their teeth while hospitalised.
After being instructed by the researchers to practise regular
toothbrushing and gargling, the
PCR tests of Patients 1 and 2 returned a negative result within
four to nine days.
“Patient 1 had schizophrenia
and was unable to voluntarily
keep herself clean during isolated
hospitalised life,” the study reads.
“She brushed her teeth for the first
time on the 18th day of hospitalisation, but after that, she did not

brush her teeth at all. Her virus
shedding period reached 46 days,
with consistently positive PCR test
results. We speculated that her inappropriate oral care might have
caused the persistence of PCR test
positivity. In collaboration with
the nurse, we repeatedly encouraged Patient 1 to brush her teeth
and gargle. Two days after the
start of this instruction, on the
49th day after the patient’s onset of
symptoms, the patient’s PCR test
result was negative for the first
time.”
Patient 2, who had the underlying diseases of dissociative disorder and mild mental retardation, returned a negative PCR test
result 26 days after being admitted to the medical facility; however, the viral shedding period
reached 43 days before two consecutive negative PCR test results
could be obtained. “At that time,
we found that Patient 2 rarely
brushed her teeth. Since then, we
repeatedly instructed her to brush
her teeth. With four days of intensive toothbrushing with only
water, Patient 2 had two consecutive negative PCR test results on
Days 44 and 47, so she was discharged,” the researchers wrote.
They acknowledged that the
low number of patients who were

Researchers in Japan have proposed that effective toothbrushing and gargling
could improve the accuracy of COVID-19 testing and reduce the duration of hospital stays. (Image: Alexey Broslavets/Shutterstock)

followed in the study made it difficult to draw statistical conclusions from the research, but noted
that it was significant that the two
patients with poor oral health regimes had displayed significantly
longer than average viral shedding periods. “In such prolonged
viral shedding cases, non-infectious viral nucleic acid may accumulate in an uncleaned oral cavity and may continue to be detected by PCR. We propose toothbrushing and gargling to remove

accumulated non-infectious viral
nucleic acid, leading to consistently negative PCR test results
and thus avoiding unnecessarily
long hospital stays,” the researchers concluded.
The study, titled “Effects of
oral care on prolonged viral shedding in coronavirus disease 2019
(COVID-19)”, was published online
on 24 July 2020 in Special Care in
Dentistry, ahead of inclusion in an
issue.

[3] =>

Dental Tribune Asia Pacific Edition | Autumn 2020

NEWS

Is Your Oﬃce Thera Yet?

Learn about the
many beneﬁts of the
TheraFamily

03

[4] =>

Dental Tribune Asia Pacific Edition | Autumn 2020

ADVERTORIAL

BISCO DENTAL PRODUCTS
The science of restorative dentistry
Groundbreaking calcium-releasing
technology opens a new door for
expanding the THERA family of
products.
BISCO is no stranger to developing groundbreaking materials.
So, after witnessing the success of
Mineral
Trioxide
Aggregate
(MTA) as a revolutionary endodontic material when it came to
perforation repairs, apexiﬁcations, polpotomies, and pulp capping, the company’s research and
development team looked to the
lab in an effort to apply the same
science to restorative dentistry.
The result was TheraCal LC.
This resin-modiﬁed calcium silicate pulp protectant and liner signaled the use of a new resin and
ﬁller technology. Behind the
scenes of TheraCal LC’s success
and growing popularity among
clinicians is a unique hydrophilic
resin that allows calcium ions1 to
be exchanged between the
mate-rial and dentin structure—
encouraging hydroxyapatite formation and a secondary dentin
bridge.2,3
“I like TheraCal LC because it
is light-cured, sets up very hard,
induces secondary dentin formation, and allows me to etch and
rinse cavosurfaces without fear
of washing it out,” said Dr Darrell
Lyvers. “It also helps minimise
postop sensitivity in deep carious
lesions where irreversible pulpitis would otherwise be sequela.”

A peace of mind
material
TheraCal LC offers precise and
immediate placement through
its syringe delivery, thixotropic
properties, and light-cured set. In
fact, simple placement is the favorite feature of Dr. Jeff Peifer,
who uses the material as a liner
while performing direct compos-ite restorations and core
buildups.
“From the ﬁrst time I used
TheraCal LC, I was sold,” he said.
Not unlike his peers, Dr Peifer,
who practices in Gilbert, AZ, remembers the days of mixing a
calcium hydroxide liner with a
ﬂuoride-releasing glass ionomer
and placing it in small areas,
which he said was a nightmare to
keep from slumping or getting on
the box prep walls. “Because of its
syringe delivery, TheraCal LC is
very easy to place and manipulate in small areas,” he said.

Dr Peifer also appreciates that
TheraCal LC is calcium-releasing*
with an alkaline pH, which promotes healing and apatite formation2,4 while insulating the pulp.5,6
“This product gives me peace of
mind when I have a deep cavity
preparation,” he shared.

Opening new doors
The breakthrough success of
TheraCal LC and its unique hydrophilic resin and ﬁller technology
led BISCO to dig even deeper into
the science of restorative dentistry and, in the process, solve
even more clinical challenges.
“This new ﬁller technology
opened up a new door for product
development,” shared Dr Rolando
Nuñez, Clinical Research Manager at BISCO. “Now it has become
possible to develop materials that
contain calcium and ﬂuoride,
which can be released via an ion
exchange.”
TheraCem, the second member of a growing THERA family, is
a unique self-adhesive resin cement that not only bonds to
den-tin and various substrates—
including zirconia, metal, and
composite—without etching or
priming, it also releases calcium
and ﬂuoride.7 After 30 minutes of
polymerisation, it transitions
from an acidic pH, which is
needed for an initial bond, to a
preferred alkaline pH.8
“I like TheraCem better than
other cement products because of
its ease of use, release of calcium
and ﬂuoride, and easy cleanup,”
said Frisco, TX, clinician Dr. Robert Beatty, adding that TheraCem
allows him to cement crowns
with a simpliﬁed procedure while
being conﬁdent he’s creating a
great seal.

calcium-releasing hydrophilic
matrix. It offers immediate placement directly into the pulp chamber, followed by a 10-second lightcure.
The THERA family of products continues to expand, with
more products currently in development that are poised to protect
the remaining dental structure.
“These n e w materials—
whether they are intended to be
used as pulp capping agents, liners, bases, or cements—will have
an impact on the clinical approach of restorative dentistry
and our patients,” said Dr Nuñez.
“The age of drill and ﬁll is over.”
BISCO’s search for new materials that are more compatible
with tooth structure is far from
over. And in the process of this
ongoing research and development, the search will undoubtedly unearth new science and
technology—leading to groundbreaking products that simplify
life in the operatory for clinicians
everywhere.
“BISCO has some smart people working in their kitchens,”
said Dr Peifer. “I have been wowed
by every BISCO product that I
have used.”
Support documents available at
www.bisco.com
*Data on file. BISCO, Inc.

5 UNIQUE BENEFITS OF
USING THERACAL LC
1. Unique hydrophilic matrix
facilitates calcium release*
2. Alkaline pH promotes healing
and apatite formation2,4
3. Syringe delivery allows for
simple and precise placement
— even in small areas
4. High radiopacity allows for
easy identiﬁcation and
differ-entiation from recurrent
decay and other restorative
materials — which leads to
faster diagnoses
5. Moisture tolerance results in
low water solubility*

A Growing Family
The THERA family recently
added pulpotomy treatment to
its list of indications with the release of TheraCal PT—a dualcured
resin-modiﬁed calcium silicate.
After partial or full removal of
the coronal pulp, it’s used to treat
exposed dentin and create a protective barrier around the pulpal
complex.
TheraCal PT is chemically formulated with synthetic Portland
Cement silicate particles in a

This article was printed with permisson
of Dental Product Shopper. It was first
published in Dental Product Shopper
Vol. 13, No. 06.

[5] =>

Dental Tribune Asia Pacific Edition | Autumn 2020

NEWS

IDS to be hybrid event in 2021
German Dental Industry Association announces new digital tools for next year.

The organisers of IDS have set up a hybrid IDS task force to implement a number of digital tools for the 2021 event. (Image: metamorworks/Shutterstock)

By Dental Tribune International
COLOGNE, Germany: About six
months prior to the event, the organisers of the International Dental Show (IDS) have announced
that they will be implementing
several digital elements for the
39th edition of IDS, which will be
held next year. In light of the
travel restrictions in place, they
aim to facilitate access to the
global trade fair for visitors from
abroad who will not be able to at-

tend. The digital IDS platform will
provide information on new products, live streaming of webinars,
press conferences and events, as
well as one-to-one communications.
Over the past months, Koelnmesse, which stages IDS, has developed and taken measures for
the digitalisation of trade fairs
into hybrid events. “We want to
implement these digital tools that
were developed over the past

weeks for our gamescom and DMEXCO formats in a targeted manner for IDS 2021, in order to be able
to offer the exhibitors and visitors
manifold participation options
beyond the physical event in Cologne,” stated Oliver Frese, chief
operating officer of Koelnmesse.
Mark Stephen Pace, chairman
of the board of the Association of
the German Dental Industry
(VDDI), added: “The leading global
trade fair, IDS, is writing a new

chapter in its almost 100-year history. It has continually depicted
the current developments of the
dental market and its players over
the past decades and supported
the users with innovations. It is
now time to further develop IDS
in a new era. The technological innovations especially of the past
years are opening up a new level of
communications with our customers as well as the whole dental
industry, which is already very

digital-savvy in the production
and application areas.”
In 2019, IDS drew over 160,000
visitors from 166 countries and
more than 2,300 companies from
64 countries exhibited at the
show. According to the latest figures available from the VDDI,
about 1,300 companies have applied to exhibit at IDS 2021.

Join the largest educational network in dentistry!
www.DTStudyClub.com

Tribune Group is an ADA CERP Recognized Provider. ADA CERP is a service of the American Dental Association to assist dental professionals in identifying quality providers of continuing dental education. ADA CERP does not approve or endorse individual courses or instructors, nor does it imply
acceptance of credit hours by boards of dentistry. This continuing education activity has been planned and implemented in accordance with the standards of the ADA Continuing Education Recognition Program (ADA CERP) through joint efforts between Tribune Group and Dental Tribune Int. GmbH.

[6] =>

NEWS

Dental Tribune Asia Pacific Edition | Autumn 2020

How dentists and pharmacists can collaborate and improve patients health
An interview with Dr Meng-Wong Taing, University of Queensland.

“There is [...] a need for growing partnerships and
collaborations between national professional
dental and pharmacy organisations”
school dental check-ups and also
later in life.

Dr Meng-Wong Taing.
(Image: Meng-Wong Taing)

By Brendan Day, Dental
Tribune International
A lecturer at the University of
Queensland’s School of Pharmacy,
Dr Meng-Wong Taing is passionate
about expanding the role pharmacists play in improving their
patients’ health through a collaborative approach. Naturally, this
approach includes giving advice
regarding appropriate oral healthcare. In this interview, Taing discusses why oral health promotion
means so much to him and shows
how dentists and pharmacists can
work together in order to optimise
patient health outcomes.
Dr Taing, as someone with a background in pharmacy, what first
made you interested in maintaining oral health?
Since my youth, I have had a
predisposition for cavities. My
parents made us brush our teeth,
so I was surprised that I constantly
needed fillings at my annual

Growing up, I developed poor
oral hygiene habits and, in hindsight, didn’t brush my teeth properly. It wasn’t until I found a proactive dentist who educated me on
identifying plaque that I developed a greater self-interest and increased confidence about the better management of my oral health.
By following simple oral hygiene
recommendations, I have been
filling-free for over six years—
that’s a record for me!

Pharmacists have great access
to patients within the community, which provides them with
ample opportunity to promote
oral healthcare and offer advice.
The average Australian visits his
or her community pharmacy approximately 14 times a year, and
we also know from various studies
that pharmacy staff express a
strong interest in promoting better oral healthcare within their
communities.
Specifically, pharmacists may
be more involved in:

What I realised was how simple it is to prevent cavities and
promote good oral health. All I
needed to do was make subtle
changes in how I looked after my
teeth—something I wish I’d
known much earlier in life. Being
better educated in oral healthcare,
I now feel empowered and confident about maintaining my oral
health and would like to promote
better oral hygiene practices for
everyone, particularly for the disadvantaged, who are at a much
greater risk of having poor oral
health.

• identifying patients at risk of
poor oral health;

What are the benefits of getting
pharmacists more involved in providing advice and services regarding oral healthcare?

• implementing assessment and
referral pathways;

• implementing oral health prevention initiatives and providing
advice on good oral hygiene and
minor oral health problems;
• supplying oral health products
and providing evidence-based advice;
• informing patients about medications which may affect oral
health, including medicines that
increase the risk of dental caries;

• carrying out oral health promotion activities and events; and
• addressing common risk factors
in chronic diseases.
What can dental professionals do
to make this collaborative approach a reality?
I believe that the principles
underpinning good collaborative
working relationships are trust,
open communication pathways
and professionalism. The advice I
give to my pharmacist colleagues
that can be reciprocated by dentists for promoting good collaborative working relationships includes:
• Get to know your local pharmacist if you’re a dentist, and vice
versa. Reach out to each other,
share ideas and support each
other in your clinical practices so
that you aren’t isolated and feeling alone.
• Make yourselves available for
each other whenever there is need.
In your busy schedules, please
make sure to provide a timely response if a call is missed or a message is left.
• Find ways in which you can assist
each other. By talking openly
about your respective needs, try

to identify where you can best
support each other’s practices and
work hard towards achieving
these goals with the aim of improving patient outcomes.
To make this collaborative approach a reality, there is also a
need for growing partnerships
and collaborations between national professional dental and
pharmacy organisations. These
partnerships could support the
development and implementation of mutually appropriate
pharmacy practice guidelines, decision support pathways and interprofessional education resources.
Is your model specific to Australia
and its approach to oral health? Is it
influenced, for example, by the fact
that only 53% of Australians possess dental coverage?
Currently, there are no established
oral healthcare models within
Australian community pharmacies.
What is needed is the development and evaluation of innovative and collaborative pharmacybased models to address poor oral
health in rural and metropolitan
regions. We need to show evidence
that implementation of any proposed model is feasible, effective
and mutually acceptable by both
professions. I am working with
Australian dentists, university
dental schools and government
health departments in order to obtain funding for the development
and testing of collaborative oral
healthcare models.

Dental researcher is developing more
aesthetic crowns for children
More aesthetically pleasing and more cost-effective alternatives to metal crowns.
By Brendan Day, Dental
Tribune International
DUNEDIN, New Zealand: In New
Zealand, one of most common
methods for treating dental caries
in primary teeth is the Hall technique. The non-invasive method
involves placing metal crowns
over teeth that are only moderately decayed, and is relatively
quick and inexpensive to per-

form. Numerous issues have been
reported with the type of crown
used in Kiwi dental practices,
however, leading a local dental researcher to begin developing her
own restorative technology.
Dr Joanne Choi, a lecturer at
the University of Otago’s Faculty
of Dentistry and a dental technology and materials researcher, told
Dental Tribune International

(DTI) that her research into the
topic “began almost by chance” in
2017, when her colleague Dr Lyndie Foster Page conducted a presentation on the implementation
of the Hall technique in New Zealand.
“She mentioned how parents
had said that the metal Hall
crowns don’t look nice,” Choi said.
>> Page 07

Dr Joanne Choi, a dental technology and materials researcher, is currently developing a tooth-coloured crown to be used with the Hall technique. (Image:
University of Otago)

[7] =>

07

NEWS

Dental Tribune Asia Pacific Edition | Autumn 2020

<< Page 06
“If the kids have one or two
metal crowns, it’s not such a problem, but if they have three or four,
it becomes noticeable. This got me
interested in starting a project to
develop tooth-coloured crowns
for New Zealand children.”
These metal crowns may draw
unwanted attention to a child’s
caries and add to any pre-existing
dental anxiety, Choi said to DTI.
Furthermore, she said that, although the crowns come in a
number of different sizes, Maori
and Pacific Islander children often
have teeth that are larger than any
of the available crowns.

“If the kids have one or two metal crowns, it’s not
such a problem, but if they have three or four, it
becomes noticeable”
AD

In a press release from the
University of Otago, Choi mentioned that the crowns she and her
team are currently developing
would be both more aesthetically
pleasing and more cost-effective
than the metal crowns currently
used in local public dental health
services.

“This got me
interested
in starting
a project
to develop
toothcoloured
crowns for
New Zealand
children”
COVID-19 slows pro-

Online class taught by Dr. Arnaldo Castellucci:

A MODERN APPROACH
TO MICROSURGICAL ENDODONTICS
duration: 1 hour

|

language: english/russian

|

Q&A

|

99 €

OBSERVE

DISCUSS

YOUR CASE

ON DEMAND

ALL DEVICES

GUARANTEED

ject, but only briefly
Choi told DTI that the COVID19 pandemic had briefly delayed
aspects of the project and had
made securing funding more difficult. However, New Zealand’s relatively good ability to control the
spread of SARS-CoV-2 has allowed
her team to get back on schedule
since, and a recent grant from the
Cure Kids foundation—a charity
that invests in medical research
aimed at improving the lives of
children—has ensured that they
have sufficient funding.
According to Choi, a prototype
of the tooth-coloured crown should
be available and ready for clinical
testing by the end of next year.

Online classes taught by the world’s best doctors directly from their practice:

www.MasterClass.Dental

Tribune Group GmbH is an ADA CERP Recognized Provider.
ADA CERP is a service of the American Dental Association to assist dental professionals in identifying
quality providers of continuing dental education. ADA CERP does not approve or endorse individual
courses or instructors, nor does it imply acceptance of credit hours by boards of dentistry.

Tribune Group GmbH designates this activity for 1 continuing education credits.
This continuing education activity has been planned and implemented in accordance with the
standards of the ADA Continuing Education Recognition Program (ADA CERP) through joint efforts
between Tribune Group GmbH and Dental Tribune Int. GmbH.

[8] =>

NEWS

Dental Tribune Asia Pacific Edition | Autumn 2020

COVID-19 and the potential for dental
reform
An interview with Professor Richards Watt, University College London.
By Brendan Day, Dental
Tribune International

creasingly implemented during the
pandemic, can work to help reduce
inequalities in dental access in the
long term?

Though the spread of SARS-CoV-2
has had an undeniably deleterious
effect on many elements of the
dental world, it has also opened up
new possibilities for imagining
how dentistry should be delivered. That is the contention of Dr
Richard Watt, professor of dental
public health in the Department
of Epidemiology and Public
Health at University College London, in a recent letter to The Lancet. Watt spoke with Dental Tribune International about how
points of emphasis in dentistry
may change in a post-pandemic
world.

Yes, I think that is the case. In
parts of the world such as Australia, you have rural communities
that are very isolated geographically, and so, rather than expecting them to travel to a city for
treatment, a notion like teledentistry should be explored for its
potential to improve access for
them.
During this pandemic, are there
any countries that you think have
provided examples for how reform
can be introduced into dentistry at
a systemic level?

Prof. Watt, could you please explain how the current pandemic
has helped to highlight opportunities for reform in dentistry?
The COVID-19 pandemic has
highlighted some of the underlying problems that dentistry is facing globally. As many of us are
aware, dentistry is recovering
slowly, and in different countries,
various issues have cropped up,
but there are some common agendas that we really need to begin to
tackle. One of these issues is the
lack of an emphasis on prevention
in dentistry, either delivered
within clinical settings or across
community and public health arenas. This was one of the main
points I was trying to get across in
my letter.
What kinds of steps can, or should,
be taken to implement these reforms?
I think the first thing to stress
when dealing with such issues is
that it’s not just simple reform; it’s
not a straightforward issue. For
many, many years, the dental profession has recognised that prevention is important, and changes
have been made in some countries to address this. Largely, however, dentistry remains a treatment-centred service, and that approach is something that needs
system-level reform. It’s not about
the individual dental practitioner
or the dental team, but instead it is
the system of the delivery of dentistry that needs to change. System reform requires discussions
to take place at the local and national level between practitioners,
policymakers and funding agencies in order to figure out how prevention can be strengthened in
the dental practice, as there’s no
one system that fits all circumstances.

Prof. Richard Watt. (Image: Richard Watt)

“The pandemic has [...]
had the most effect on
those populations that
are the most vulnerable
and disadvantaged”
To be fair, these are big issues
that don’t have any quick, easy answers. But I think it’s important
that, as a profession, we debate
and discuss these bigger issues because, at a time of crisis, there is an
opportunity for us to really think
through what the future holds.
Do you think that the fact that
SARS-CoV-2 has affected everyone’s lives, not just those who suffer from oral health inequalities,
will have an impact on the potential for reform in an area like dentistry?
In broader discussions taking
place in the media, in academia,
and so on, almost all sectors are
taking stock of where they are and
what this pandemic has meant to
them. And overall, there seems to
be a shared view that we don’t nec-

essarily want to go back to how
things were pre-COVID-19, not
least of all because certain things
are unlikely to ever be re-established.
In a lot of countries—certainly
across Europe—the pandemic has
disrupted daily life for many, but
it has, however, had the most effect on those populations that are
the most vulnerable and disadvantaged. This was already a problem in dentistry, since it often
hasn’t managed to provide care
for disadvantaged groups to the
same extent as it has for other
groups. So providing access to
dental care for those groups who
suffer from inequalities remains a
challenge that we need to address.
Do you think that a measure such
as teledentistry, which has been in-

It’s a bit too soon to say for
sure, since we’re still very much in
the middle of the pandemic. However, if we consider the UK as an
example, we can see how the role
of many dental professionals has
changed during this time owing
to their redeployment. When dental services were shut down in the
UK—as they were in many countries—thousands of dental personnel were redeployed to other
areas of the healthcare system, either to support efforts to combat
the pandemic or to provide other
forms of healthcare beyond dentistry. And that’s quite an amazing
shift, because it changed the professional boundaries of what dentists can do. Over the last few
months, these kinds of changes
have shown how radical shifts can
happen quickly, even at a systemic
level.
Many major dental companies
have experienced massive losses
throughout this pandemic. Do you
think this could have an impact on
the provision of dental services and
will this potential impact be positive or negative?
I think that’s an important
point. I think very few people are
very confident in their predictions of how the pandemic is
going to pan out economically,
but we know that there are already
increased unemployment numbers. If people are unemployed,
they’re unlikely to go to the dentist to get new crowns, bridgework
or other forms of expensive treatment. So the effects on dentistry,
and the wider dental industry, are
potentially massive.
It is hard to know at this stage
how much of an economic bounceback there will be and how long
that will take. If I were working in
the dental industry, I would be
looking at trying to diversify and

identify opportunities that are
beyond what has been done historically in terms of promotional
materials and equipment.

IMPRINT
PUBLISHER AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
Torsten R. Oemus
CHIEF CONTENT OFFICER
Claudia Duschek
MANAGING EDITOR
Franziska Beier
ASSISTANT EDITORS
Jeremy Booth, Brendan Day,
Monique Mehler, Iveta Ramonaite
COPY EDITORS
Sabrina Raaff, Ann-Katrin Paulick
AD PRODUCTION
Marius Mezger
DESIGNER
Maria Macedo

Dental Tribune International GmbH
Holbeinstr. 29, 04229, Leipzig, Germany
Tel.: +49 341 48474-302
Fax: +49 341 48474-173
GENERAL REQUESTS:
info@dental-tribune.com
SALES REQUESTS:
mediasales@dental-tribune.com
www.dental-tribune.com

Material from Dental Tribune International
GmbH that has been reprinted or translated and
reprinted in this issue is copyrighted by Dental
Tribune International GmbH. Such material
must be published with the permission of Dental Tribune International GmbH. Dental Tribune
is a trademark of Dental Tribune International
GmbH.
All rights reserved. © 2020 Dental Tribune International GmbH. Reproduction in any manner
in any language, in whole or in part, without the
prior written permission of Dental Tribune International GmbH is expressly prohibited.
Dental Tribune International GmbH makes every
effort to report clinical information and manufacturers’ product news accurately but cannot
assume responsibility for the validity of product
claims or for typographical errors. The publisher
also does not assume responsibility for product
names, claims or statements
made by advertisers. Opinions expressed by authors
are their own and may not
reflect those of Dental Tribune International GmbH.

www.dental-tribune.com

) [page_count] => 8 [pdf_ping_data] => Array ( [page_count] => 8 [format] => PDF [width] => 794 [height] => 1134 [colorspace] => COLORSPACE_UNDEFINED ) [linked_companies] => Array ( [ids] => Array ( ) ) [cover_url] => [cover_three] =>

[cover] => DT Asia Pacific Autumn, 2020

[toc] => Array ( [0] => Array ( [title] => IDEM 2020 succeeds as online event [page] => 01 ) [1] => Array ( [title] => Paradigm shift in dentistry [page] => 01 ) [2] => Array ( [title] => BISCO DENTAL PRODUCTS [page] => 04 ) [3] => Array ( [title] => IDS to be hybrid event in 2021 [page] => 05 ) [4] => Array ( [title] => How dentists and pharmacists can collaborate and improve patients health [page] => 06 ) [5] => Array ( [title] => Dental researcher is developing more aesthetic crowns for children [page] => 06 ) [6] => Array ( [title] => COVID-19 and the potential for dental reform [page] => 08 ) ) [toc_html] =>

Table of contents

[toc_titles] =>

[cached] => true )