A fantastic day for dentists and DCPs - ESAO

On the 21^st June in Birmingham the European Society of Aesthetic Orthodontics (ESAO) hosted a full-capacity orthodontic skills course. With parallel sessions running for dentists and DCPs; the sold-out course was a huge success.

With a range of highly qualified and experienced speakers including Dr Andy Wallace, Dr Daz Singh, Dr Pav Khaira, Dr Ian Hutchinson, and Steve Blackhall, delegates were treated to lectures and hands-on courses that covered the entire spectrum of aesthetically focused orthodontics.

Topics ranged from the importance of retention after orthodontic treatment, to techniques for impression taking and interproximal reduction (IPR), as well as TMJ assessment and composite edge bonding. The one-day course was aimed at ensuring practices and practitioners were able to deliver medico-legally protected, high quality aesthetic dentistry with confidence and support.  

Dentist Course

Dr Pav Khaira is the Ethics Director for the ESAO, he provided the first session for dentists that focused on enhancing their diagnostic skills. He says, “One of the main concerns that I have is the lack of diagnostic skills that are taught at undergraduate level when it comes to jaw joint and chronic pain issues. I see a lot of dentists start to undertake brace work without fully understanding the red-flags areas and what could potentially go wrong mid-treatment or even once treatment has been completed.

“What I hope delegates were able to take away from the course is a better understanding of the types of screening questions that they should be asking so that they have a clearer indication of which patients are more likely to be fine and which are more likely to develop problems.”

The second lecture for dentists was presented by Dr Ian Hutchinson. His session was concerned with retention and exploring how to ensure teeth remain straight once they have been corrected. He discussed removable retainers as well as variants in fixed retainers and reviewed some specific situations where special attention may be required.

He said of the ESAO, “The reason I support the ESAO is that there is an alarming growth in manufacturers selling orthodontic 'systems' with no regard to correct training of the clinician or suitability of their appliance to correct the problem. The marketing of such appliances is often 'direct to public' and therefore stimulates demand from potentially misinformed patients. The ESAO represents an organisation that clinicians are able to go to for important, independent and impartial advice.”

Dr Andy Wallace then presented a session on IPR and its importance in aesthetically focused orthodontic procedures. He provided ways to calculate the necessary amounts of IPR along with techniques for effective and safe execution. He then gave a second session that covered aesthetic edge bonding, in which he shared techniques and tips to simplify procedures, which will allow delegates and attendees to complete their aesthetically focused orthodontic cases to a very high quality.

Course for DCPs

Alongside the lectures and hands-on sessions for dentist there ran a parallel course for DCPs.

Dr Wallace presented a talk that focused on the essentials of dental photography. He explained how it allows for clearer communication with patient, dentist, laboratory and support systems, as well as being an important record of each case both before and after treatment. His seminar focused on teaching delegates how to achieve consistent photography and included a hands-on session where attendees could try out their new techniques.

ESAO Secretary Dr Daz Singh also presented a talk that focused on impression taking and shared some techniques with delegates for the consistent delivering of high quality impressions. He says, “Taking an accurate impression is vital, as it helps to ensure that planning for any treatment is carried out correctly. With a vast number of different materials available to us, it is essential to choose the appropriate material for your treatment." 

Steve Blackhall, co-owner and co-founder of Prestige Dental, gave the final practical session for DCPs that covered model making and the production of vacuum formed retainers and whitening trays. Delegates on the course were shown some essential tips for best practice and enjoyed the interactive nature of the seminar, making their own trays and models.

Great Success

The event was organised by Dr Raha Sepehrara, the scientific director of the ESAO, and was a great success. She says, “I hope that the delegates found the day useful and that they are able to apply what they have learnt in their everyday practice. It was an exciting opportunity for me to put this course together, as I had the chance to meet many excellent speakers and clinicians and also learn a lot from their presentations.”

The ESAO is dedicated to helping ethical practitioners provide the finest quality aesthetically focused orthodontics. For details of any upcoming courses or how to join the fast-growing organisation visit the website today.  

For more information visit esao.co.uk or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.