New appointment for Dr. Robert Santosa

Dr Robert Santosa was recently appointed as the new International Team For Implantology (ITI) Australasian Section Chair during the annual meeting held in Adelaide.

ITI’s purpose is to serve dental professionals by fostering learning, networking, discussion and exchange. We provide comprehensive, quality education in implant dentistry and support and facilitate cutting edge research in this field. Our aim is to be the authoritative resource on current and emerging issues in implant dentistry for dental professionals globally.

The ITI was founded in 1980 by 12 experts planning ahead for the future of their field. Their objective was an alliance of specialists to pursue research and development in an important and as yet untapped medical area on a voluntary and idealistic basis. Today, the ITI has more than 17,000 Fellows and Members. Through its growing number of national Sections, the ITI ensures the exchange of expertise and know-how via a modern, quality-conscious and efficient network.

Over more than 35 years the ITI has built a reputation for scientific rigor coupled with a strong patient focus. The organization supports the premise of well documented treatment guidelines backed by extensive clinical testing and long-term results. The ITI's more than 1,000 Fellows, who form the core of the organization, contribute their time, energy and skills and are driven by a strong sense of responsibility and idealism.

The Australasian Section is one of the most active section in ITI. Dr. Santosa has been an ITI Fellow for the past 10 Years, and held various positions in the Section Leadership Team for the past 6 years. The ITI Australasian Section has 51 Fellows and about 800 members across Australia and New Zealand.

Dr Robert Santosa thanking Dr Simon Jensen of Copenhagen at the recent ITI Australasian Section Education Day in Adelaide.

Extended Fixed Prosthodontics 2: Implantology

Dr. Robert Santosa will present to the postgraduate continuing education course in September: Extended Fixed Prosthodontics 2: Implantology is an intensive and comprehensive course on implant prosthodontics. The program systematically covers the restoration of single- and short-spans with implant-borne fixed dental prostheses. Practitioners are trained in the planning and restoration of straightforward to advanced, single- and multiple-unit cases.

The four-day course is structured with foundation evidence-based lecture topics, hands-on workshops, phantom head exercises on custom-made prosthetic models with multiple implant systems, and interactive panel discussions.

For more information, please click here: http://sydney.edu.au/dentistry/ce/courses/prosthodontics/extfixpros2.php

A stunning smile is just the start

Below is an edited easy to read format from a Sydney Morning Herald Article featuring Dr. Steven Stratis

Dental crowns and bridges restore oral health and can deliver a boost to confidence.

It is well documented that a beautiful smile can make a person look younger and feel more attractive, be perceived as healthier, and successful. It can boost self-confidence and self-esteem and make a real difference to lives.

The reverse may apply if teeth are crooked, discoloured, damaged – or missing – as well as potentially contributing to ill health, discomfort and difficulties with eating.

Crowns, bridges and dental implants have been able to transform the looks, even lives, of thousands of people concerned by aesthetic as well as oral health issues.

Expert dental surgeons can perform cosmetic dental treatments to replace lost or missing teeth with prosthetic teeth, a proven long-term solution for functionality and appearance.
“We offer patients the opportunity to restore their smile and enhance functionality with custom-made dental crowns,” says Dr Steven Stratis.

“Dental crowns are a custom-made restoration which fits over the prepared existing natural tooth and replaces the natural crown, which is the part of the tooth that is visible above the gums.
“They can be used for strength, durability and tooth stability, or for cosmetic reasons to enhance the appearance of a tooth.
“Crowns are often required when a tooth has been severely weakened and is no longer structurally sound, which can be as a result of trauma, tooth decay, previous root canal therapy or even general wear over time.
“This cosmetic dental treatment can also be used to brighten and improve the appearance of one’s smile by covering broken, chipped, stained or discoloured teeth or by modifying the shape of a tooth.”
A bridge replaces one or more missing teeth. It consists of an artificial tooth anchored to the adjacent natural teeth.
If a tooth is lost through an accident, or is too badly decayed to save with a crown, a bridge may be the treatment of choice.
Constructing a dental crown generally requires two appointments; the first to prepare the existing tooth to receive the crown, impressions are taken and a temporary crown is placed over the prepared tooth.
At the next visit, the new crown is adjusted and cemented into place, providing a more long-term natural looking aesthetic solution.
Another increasingly sought-after option to replace damaged or missing teeth are dental implants.
“Dental implants can be thought of as artificial roots that are securely anchored in the jaw,” says Dr Stratis.

“They are cylindrical devices made of medical grade titanium which are placed in the site of a missing tooth or teeth where they biologically bond with the bone and are capped with a ceramic crown that matches existing teeth.

“They are now widely used to:
•    Replace a single tooth (or many single teeth using one implant per tooth) with a ceramic crown secured to the top of the implant to give the appearance and function of a natural tooth.
•    Secure a full or partial implant supported ceramic fixed bridge.
•    Retain removable dentures to prevent movement and dramatically improve the stability.”

6th ITI Consensus Conference 20th April 2018

Every 5 years, for 3 days, The International Team for Implantology (ITI) held its Consensus Conferences. This is an important event for every clinician who works with implants as they lay the foundations for the latest guidelines to tried and tested techniques, methodologies and materials for use in clinical practice.

155 experts from all over the world and every discipline that is involved in implant dentistry will be gathering to review and debate the latest literature in five main areas: surgery, prosthodontics, patient-reported outcomes, complications/risks and digital technologies.

Australasian Section is well represented with Fellows participating as the lead authors (Stephen Chen, Lisa Heitz Mayfield, Danielle Layton, and Chris Evans) and participants (Anthony Dawson, Robert Santosa and Ivan Darby) of the Conference.

The 155 participants of the 6th ITI Consensus Statement Conference

Membership in Specialist Dental Practice from the Royal Australasian College of Dental Surgeon (MRACDS)

Dr Robert Santosa has attained Membership in Specialist Dental Practice from the Royal Australasian College of Dental Surgeon or MRACDS (Pros) in short. The title is granted in recognition of a candidate's standing as a specialist in Prosthodontics.

The Royal Australasian College of Dental Surgeons (RACDS) is a postgraduate professional education college established in 1965 to provide a broad range of activities to enhance the professional development of both general and specialist dentists through individually actioned studies and examinations which lead to Membership or Fellowship of the College.

RACDS members and fellows are engaged in research studies through our Education Board and Boards of Studies in general and specialist dental practice. The RACDS have conjoint arrangements with four of Australia’s top University dental schools.

Brushing your teeth

Despite most of us thinking that we're brushing our teeth correctly or flossing frequently enough, dentist visits are often full of surprises. Irritation, cavities, gingivitis ― the list of our maladies goes on and on.

It's always important to go back to basics and make sure that you're brushing your teeth with proper technique.

If you want to double check your brushing techniques and times, we suggest following the instructions on the American Dental Association's website. Below is a video as a reminder:

Brief video on the proper technique for brushing your teeth. For more information on brushing please visit http://www.mouthhealthy.org/en/az-topics/b/brushing-your-teeth.

Check out this handy infographic on brushing!

Course information for Sydney and Adelaide: Edentulous solutions using implants

Dr. Robert Santosa presented the Straumann Edentulous Solutions in Sydney and Adelaide.

The Straumann Removable Implant - Retained Overdenture course is designed for Dentists and Technicians at various levels of implant restoration proficiency who would like to further their knowledge with restorations for completely edentulous patients. Through practical restorative sessions supported by didactic instructions, participants will become familiar with advanced treatment planning concepts in the specific area of restoring edentulous arches with removable overdentures.

Participants should be competent with the restorative procedures for components of the Straumann Dental Implant Systems.
 

LEARNING OBJECTIVES
 

• Current approaches to rehabilitating the edentulous jaw using dental implants and using removable full arch restorations.

• Treatment planning of edentulous patients will be discussed, including proper case selection, treatment sequencing, indication and selection of prosthetic design, choice of surgical protocol, number of implants required, spatial requirements, as well as cost and patients’ satisfaction.

• A step-by-step demonstration of clinical steps will be presented, including chair-side denture reline implant pick-up and verification procedures of mandibular overdentures retained on 2 implants.

• Intra-operative complications and post-insertion maintenance recommendation will be also discussed.

• Special reference to Straumann’s new Novaloc attachments and Locator abutments.

For information regarding the Sydney course: https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/restorative-edentulous-program-sydney-tickets-31531929851#

For information regarding the Adelaide course: https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/restorative-edentulous-program-adelaide-tickets-31532005076#

Dr. Robert Santosa presented at the ITI World Congress 2017 in Basel, Switzerland

The ITI welcomed more than 4,800 participants from 90 countries to its global flagship event, which took place in Basel between May 4 and May 6, 2017. The scientific program offered a wide range of practically oriented lectures and panel discussions and was supplemented by a poster competition, a rich social program offering ample opportunity for networking as well as an extensive industry exhibition.

A further highlight were the Breakout Sessions that allowed participants to customise their own Symposium program to meet their individual needs and dive into certain topics and aspects in more detail. Dr Robert Santosa presented at one of these sessions together with other younger generation of ITI Fellows and Members, offering an excellent opportunity to see how the younger generation approaches implant dentistry today. For further news, click this link: http://shakr.ly/2qLP8ri?embed_id=274.

Dr Robert Santosa presented lecture on cement induced peri-implantitis.

Fixed complete arch implant solutions ("screw-on teeth")

Fixed implant-supported dentures are a type of overdenture prosthesis that is supported by and attached to implants.

Fixed implant-supported denture prostheses are recommended for patients having trouble keeping their prosthetics in place. Since they utilise dental implants for support, this tooth replacement option allows you to comfortably chew and laugh without worrying that your dentures will fall out. In most cases, patients will find it easier to speak and function. Patients reported improvement in being able to eat foods they could not eat before. However, we don't recommend chewing hard or sticky foods because they can damage the prosthesis.

If you have an implant-supported denture in the upper jaw, it can be made to cover less of the palate (roof of your mouth) than a regular denture.

There are two types of fixed implant-supported denture prosthesis: Fixed hybrid overdenture or a fixed implant-supported bridge.

Fixed hybrid overdentures

Fixed hybrid implant overdentures consist of acrylic dentures that are fixed onto implants. Just like regular dentures, fixed hybrid implant overdentures use a full set of acrylic denture teeth. But unlike regular dentures, fixed hybrid implant overdentures are fixed into patients' mouth using a set of four or six dental implants. The dental implants support a titanium or gold bar that anchors a set of acrylic teeth in place. The bar is permanently fixed in one place and won’t move around.

Note that they are usually a bulkier option than the fixed implant-supported bridge options, due to the metal framework embedded in the denture. Plus, they’re usually made of acrylic, which is more porous and therefore more difficult to clean than porcelain. Although acrylic is much more affordable than porcelain.

Fixed implant-supported bridge

Fixed implant-supported bridges are prostheses that are fixed onto dental implants. These bridges are usually made of porcelain, meaning the denture looks more natural and it’s more durable.

The prostheses are supported by around 6 to eight dental implants.
Often the prostheses are made in segments across the arch, allowing easier cleaning between using dental floss.

With this option though, the treatment is usually more expensive than other options because more implants are involved and the porcelain materials used.

Every patient is different and every mouth is not identical. Each treatment plans are customized for each patient, hence it is important to discuss your needs with your prosthodontist to find the best denture implant option for you.

To find out more about the above treatment, please contact us on (02) 9232 5438 or via the website here.