Page 17 - Academy of Osseointegration (AO) Academy News Vol 36, No 1 2025

yield more restorative dentistry to be performed with noticeably better esthetic outcomes.
• Acceptance of comprehensive care is greatly improved through a combination of therapies offered and patient perception of the progressive regenerative clinician.
• The patient’s experience becomes “special,” resulting in increased patient referrals.
• Physician referrals dramatically increase, as you educate medical colleagues about the potentials of regenerative therapies.
• Clinician pride and self-fulfillment evolve, resulting in a more enjoyable daily practice experience.
• AND, MOST IMPORTANT OF ALL...You help these patients who trust you with their health, with their very bodies, in incredible ways.
Is there more? One certainly hopes so. Innovations continue to appear on the horizon and some of these will undoubtedly move the regenerative needle in clinically significant ways. Building on the legacy of GTR/GBR,
the most successful of these will need to be developed through collaborations across oceans, specialties, generations and the academic/clinical practice divide.
Move over Jimi and Eric. Your night at Central London Polytechnic is a legend; but the regenerators are coming!
Can we build upon the success story of GTR and GBR; the proven model of international cooperation not in a quest for ego fulfillment; not for recognition; and not merely
for financial gain. The reasons to learn from the lessons
of GTR and GBR are the most basic, yet monumental, of all: to further extend knowledge; to help our patients; and to ultimately help ourselves through fulfillment of our dialectic interaction with the world and innermost beings.
There are those who seek knowledge for the sake of knowledge; that is curiosity. There are those who seek knowledge to be known by others; that is vanity. There are those
who seek knowledge in order to serve; that is Love."
It is up to all of us.
– Bernard of Clairvaux
Interdisciplinary treatment planning... (continued from page 15)
Emerging skeletal expansion therapies coupled with periodontal phenotype modification and targeted orthognathic surgery is proving to be a game changer in what it now means to be a dental medicine professional. As such, the impact that an IDT team can have on systemic health parameters for patients is nothing short of profound and transformational (Fig. 1). In fact, the changing paradigm of IDT and many of these novel therapies were highlighted as apart of “The Dental Guys” interview stage during the 2024 AO’s Annual Meeting and released as part of the AO Spotlight podcast this fall.
As with any treatment plan involving complex cases, the selection of therapies, treatment providers, and the ability
to achieve lasting outcomes begins and ends with accurate diagnosis. Comprehensive planning including CBCT imaging, a facially prioritized analysis with airway intake/screening, and expanded opportunities for skeletal expansion including phenotype modification are giving our profession new ways to collaborate and impact patients for more meaningful and sustainable oral health care conditions....and, yes, implant therapy is definitely part of exceptional care now and in the future.
My response to the headwinds questioning the integrity of our profession is to embrace the modern era of IDT
by using technology judiciously and thoughtfully and to surround yourself with exceptional restorative dentists, specialists, physicians, and auxiliaries to fulfill the mission of oral healthcare in the 21st century as a dental medicine provider. You owe it to your patients and yourself.
Acknowledgement
The author would like to thank Drs. Colin Richman, Richard Kao, Ashley Hoders and Claire Ferrari for their valuable insight and review in preparing this editorial.
Fig. 1
Please view references for this article on our website.
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