AAID 2023: Speaker, News, and Product Wrap Up

Attendees were focused on unique educational opportunities from leading dental implant experts, as well as a chance to see some of the latest technologies and approaches to dental implant care during the 2023 American Academy of Implant Dentistry (AAID) Annual Conference in Las Vegas, November 1-4.

The meeting was busy with dental professionals networking and sharing their expertise, whether in the range of lectures, hands-on courses, and specialized educational tracks, or while walking the conference center hallways, or exhibit hall aisles. Here is a wrap up of some of what happened during AAID 2023.

Mainstage Presenters

Lecturers on the AAID 2023 mainstage touched on a range of topics, but the importance of digital technology in both treatment design and execution was a connective theme between many presentations.

In a presentation titled “Robotics and Facial Esthetics” Hanife Bayraktaroglu, DDS, shared how the guided robotic technology of Neocis’ Yomi helped give her the confidence to take on more complex implant cases. With Yomi she can plan implant placements digitally, and then the system’s robotic arm guides her handpiece to make sure they are delivered to those precise spots and the planned angulation.

“We want to obtain control of every aspect of clinical care, and the robot is one tool that helps us do that,” she says.

Among the other key technologies for Dr Bayraktaroglu were CBCT imaging, intraoral scans, and photogrammetry which she said is likely to be the standard of care for restoring full-arch cases.

Another mainstage presenter who highlighted the importance of the accuracy of digital imaging was Scott Ganz, DMD, who shared his best practices for helping patients with malpositioned implants. Dr Ganz walked the audience through a series of cases featuring failing previously placed implants. Whether the implants were showing their threads above the gumline, or had been placed in ill-advised positions previously, Dr Ganz detailed how 3D imaging and treatment planning in a digital environment allow him to find where there is bone, and how he can create a platform to support new implants and a restoration.

Dr Ganz also highlighted a range of digital technologies key to his successful outcomes. Along with CBCT imaging, intraoral scanning, and photogrammetry for planning the treatment and the restoration, he demonstrated how 3D printing can be used to create custom guides for these unique situations, which allows him to deliver optimal outcomes.

Exhibit Hall Trends

The Implant World Expo exhibit hall was not bursting with product launches, but a look at who was exhibiting, and what they were showing provided a great look at the trends when it comes to implant dentistry. Innovation in the design of implants themselves continues to be one story, as manufacturers continue to refine the design and surface of the implants themselves. But the design of implant connections, and abutment solutions are also impacting the possibilities of what can be engineered when it comes to full-arch restorations.

There are also a range of new approaches to the implant workflow with companies such as InstaRisa with its extraoral face-scanning solution, and S.I.N. 360 with its end-to-end workflow for providing full-arch, implant-supported restorations.

Of course, along with the dental implants, numerous products designed to aid with healing were also on display. StellaLife was on hand showcasing the research supporting the use of its VEGA Oral Care Gel as an alternative to chlorhexidine for post-surgical care.

While the 2023 AAID Annual Conference is over, next year’s event is already set. The 2024 AAID Annual Conference will be November 13-16, 2024 in Atlanta, Georgia.