Team approach to implant dentistry: Lars Hansson talks about the TEAM and Lab Tech Program at #AOSanDiego

Jan. 31, 2016

The Academy of Osseointegration’s (AO) 2016 Annual Meeting in San Diego isn’t just for dentists. The entire dental team and laboratory technicians will gain a lot of insight into the implant process, but the real winners will be patients. The AO’s TEAM and Laboratory Technician Programs are designed to improve the effectiveness of the entire dental team. Scheduled on Saturday, February 20, the programs promote the team approach to implant dentistry, a concept gaining traction in the implant community.

The AO’s TEAM and Laboratory Technician Programs are designed to improve the effectiveness of the entire dental team. Scheduled on Saturday, February 20, the programs promote the team approach to implant dentistry, a concept gaining traction in the implant community.

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The TEAM program (formerly the Allied Staff Program) is designed to provide comprehensive information for the entire staff, from the dentist to the implant treatment coordinator to the hygienists, assistants, and receptionists.

The TEAM Program sessions feature:

One for the Team: An Interdisciplinary Approach to Regenerative and Implant Therapy, presented by Amy Kinnamon, RDH, EFDA, BSASc from 8:10 a.m. until noon.
Peri-implantitis: Prevalence, Etiology, and Nonsurgical Treatment, presented by Diane Daubert, RDH, MS from 1:30 to 4:30 p.m.

Lars Hansson, CDT, FICOI, is most excited about the team concept that is an underlying theme for the Laboratory Technician Program. Designed to help clinicians, lab technicians, specialists, and the rest of the dental team better communicate and understand each other’s part in the process, Hansson thinks the program will help “bridge the gap” between the team in implant dentistry.

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“I want them to see how much easier the process will be and how much more of the treatment they will be part of, because today a lot of technicians are afraid of speaking up.” Hansson explained. “Being more part of the patient treatment and protocol and the treatment plan inspires a lot of technicians to become better.”

The Laboratory Technician Program sessions feature:

The Essential “Pink” Interfaces in Implant Dentistry: Restorative Alternatives, presented by Drs. Guilherme Cabral, DDS, CDT, and David Garber, DMD, from 8:10 until 10 a.m.
One Step Back, Ten Steps Forward (Reverting to the Basics of Dental Technology), presented by Bill Marais, RDT, DTG, from 10:15 a.m. until noon.
The New Gold Standard in Full-Arch Implant Restorations, High Performance Polymers, and the BDT Technique, presented by Phil Reddington, RDT, MDTA, from 1:15 to 3 p.m.
Mastery of White and Pink Esthetics, presented by Dr. Cheryl Pearson, DMD, and Pinhas Adar, MDT, CDT, from 3:15 to 4:45 p.m.

“These meetings are always exciting because you meet peers and people who you’ve looked up to, and who you’re going to learn from. And you listen to people who have far more knowledge than you do. You will get a step closer by going to the meeting,” Hansson said.

To read more about either the TEAM or the Laboratory Technician Programs, please visit the AO website and select the Program tab.

The 31st Annual Meeting is set for February 17–20, 2016, in San Diego. You can register to attend at http://meetings.osseo.org. Follow AO on Facebook and Twitter using #AOSanDiego to stay up-to-date.