What strategies are required as patients and their restored dentitions age?

Restoration of an extensively worn or badly broken down dentition can be complex, costly and time-consuming to implement. Because of its complexity and cost, this treatment is often delayed until it becomes essential.

Dentists (and patients!) want to stop the repeat restoration cycle and its ongoing costly restorative burden. So how do we treat the patient with a severely broken down dentition?
Through lectures, clinical demonstrations and participation exercises, Professor Meyers will present four steps to restorative success:

Clinical evaluation of patients

• Review of several patient cases 
• Risk assessment tools
• Impact of patient’s health and lifestyle 
• Correct treatment planning before restoration

Oral environment

• How dry mouth and salivary acidity correlates with severe tooth wear and non-carious tooth surface loss
• Examination requirements, salivary analysis and remineralisation strategies
• Stabilisation of the oral environment and risk reduction before restoration

New materials and techniques

• How to evaluate the range of materials and techniques available for cost-effective and conservative management and aesthetics
• Step by step procedures (using a range of materials) to allow participants to compare the various materials and techniques for direct and semi-direct restorations

Practical experience

• Demonstration and participant simulation exercises covering techniques for the restoration of the worn dentition; including direct restorative techniques, laboratory procedures, direct, semi-direct and indirect adhesive technologies