IDEM 2024: 19-21 April 2024

Our oral structures undergo tremendous amounts of mechanical, chemical and biological insults daily. It can lead to loss of function, pain and even compromised self-esteem especially when the smile and appearance become negatively affected.

When faced with such a patient, we need to be able to assess, plan and treat the patient comprehensively. The restoration of function and form must encompass all aspects of dentistry utilising concepts of Digital Smile Design, Occlusal concepts, and excellent lab communication. Most importantly, patients must be able to participate in and appreciate the process of their rehabilitation.

Learning Objectives:

  • Understand the process of treatment planning for complex aesthetics rehabilitation.
  • Expose participants to Digital Smile Design and Gneuromuscular Occlusion concepts.
  • Appreciate digital integration in comprehensive aesthetic rehabilitation.

In modern Implantology, like in Orthopedics and Regenerative Medicine, our aim is to restore the form and function of the lost bone, so that we can give back to our patients exactly the same tissue, a healthy bone tissue which can remodel and adapt to the transmitting occlusal forces.

The new generation of novel alloplastic grafting materials may elicit a controlled action and reaction to the host tissue environment, whilst exhibiting controlled chemical breakdown and resorption with an ultimate replacement by new bone. As surgeons, if bone regeneration is the aim of our treatment, a fully resorbable material should be used so that the newly formed bone will be in all ways identical to the lost host bone and no residual graft should be present in the long term. Long-term incorporation of non-resorbable graft particles in the augmented bone leads to incomplete regeneration, so in these cases repair or bone augmentation are more appropriate terms.

Novel synthetic biomaterials are designed to be not only osteoconductive but also osteoinductive, i.e. to stimulate the differentiation of multipotent cells towards osteoblasts capable of depositing bone matrix, and there are currently numerous medical research papers showing this. All this medical research can teach us how to engineer functional bone in Dentistry and Implantology, we can learn and understand the role of periosteum, the importance of angiogenesis and biomechanics, so that we translate this knowledge into clinical applications for the benefit of our patients. This in turn increases patient satisfaction, with treatments being completed without the use of donor material, with minimal pain / discomfort and with a reduced timespan.


Careers are filled with opportunities and choices that often lead to unexpected places and experiences. The ability to assess opportunity and risk in an attempt to achieve career success, instigate change and make some difference can be challenging and at times can mean you are a singular voice. Change in our profession (oral health therapy) is essential to maintain workforce appropriateness, improve and manage educational opportunities, ensure relevant dental and oral health services, and effect oral health and general health policy.

The ability to see an opportunity for change, conduct research and develop strategies to design, deliver and evaluate that opportunity for change can provide a framework to lead and inspire.  Leaders have the ability to see beyond the now and into the future, this is a vital component of leadership and a tool that enables career opportunities.

The Senior Smiles program was developed as an opportunity to influence change, this is my preventive oral health program for older people living in residential aged care facilities delivered by dental hygienists/oral health therapists/dental therapists. This is translational research and the only program of its type in Australia that is supported by extensive research and an economic analysis.

Learning Objectives:

  • Understand how to identify opportunities and need
  • Understand the importance of research in influencing change
  • Understand the Senior Smiles program aims and objectives


Indirect Ceramic restorations are among the most prevalent restorative procedures used in dentistry. These types of restorations are indicated for a wide variety of clinical situations both to improve the aesthetics and to improve the function of the dentition. The clinical situations can range from restoring heavily damaged, heavily restored, or cracked teeth to improving aesthetic or positional situations.  

There are a number of ceramic materials available in the market today having different compositions and methods of fabrication and their clinical selection depends on the functional and aesthetic demands of the case.  

Each step of the clinical and laboratory procedures can have an impact on the longevity and the aesthetic results of these indirect restorations. And of all the clinical steps, cementation is one of the most critical. 

Proper cement selection plays a determinative role in providing long-term serviceability, retention, caries prevention, and patient satisfaction. 

The goal of this lecture is to help clinicians make appropriate cementation decisions in selecting the most appropriate cement and cementation protocol so as to maximise the aesthetics and the functional demands of our ceramic restorations.  

Learning Objectives:

  • Learn how to select the correct cement for a specific type of ceramic 
  • Understand the clinical steps involved in the cementation protocols for different ceramics. 
  • Understand the aesthetic and strength characteristics for different types of cements to maximise the success of your cementation.  

As health care professionals we have the ability to support our patients with self-healing practices that can enhance their quality of life, and ours simultaneously. Prevention passion with a purpose nourishes the mouth and mind by going beyond prevention and by supplementing the physical. During this session, we will return to our core as health healers and collectively motivate and create together an understanding of how we can take care of the mind for the mouth, and the mouth for the mind.

Learning Objectives:

  • Learn how the smile can impact the mind neurologically & psychologically.
  • Understand how as oral health practitioners we have the ability to connect mouth and mind for holistic care.
  • Consider how mental & oral trauma impacts an individual and how we can support them in their healing journey.
  • Learn how to create & implement a collective health consciousness together through practices that go beyond the mouth and to the mind for healthier, happier and more successful prevention practices.
  • Share how as health professionals, we can combine our other passions & unique gifts to bring more joy & ease into our lives and into how we educate others.
  • Touch on how we can go beyond a clinical setting with our skills to complete impact work that supports others and ourselves, mentally and dentally.

The most common neurological disorders in Singapore include stroke, dementia and Parkinson’s disease. As the number of elderly increases, we can expect an increase in the numbers of patients with neurodegenerative disease in our dental clinic. A good understanding of these conditions is important so that we can care for our patients better and deliver treatment appropriately. Special attention should also be given to reinforcing preventive care and involving caregivers so as to ensure our patients maintain a good oral-health quality of life.

Learning Objectives:

  • Discuss how common neurological disorders such as stroke, dementia and Parkinson’s disease affect the elderly
  • Understand the implications of these disorders on dental care and how we can better deliver care for these patients

The end goal of successful orthodontic treatment is to achieve good clinical outcomes and patient satisfaction. The first and arguably most important step in this process is to understand and address the treatment objectives of our patients. This is central to any well-crafted treatment plan.

After which, clinicians are required to think broadly about topics such as treatment modality, facial aesthetics and biomechanics before finalising the treatment plan with their patients. Case selection and knowing when to refer the patient for specialist management are also critical steps in the decision tree.

This lecture aims to add structure to this complex process by discussing six key areas:

  1. Clinical evaluation: Pre-treatment and mid-treatment
  2. Growth modification & Camouflage treatment vs Orthognathic Surgery
  3. Extraction vs Non extraction therapy
  4. Fixed braces vs Clear aligners
  5. Multidisciplinary treatment plans
  6. Psychosocial considerations

 

Learning Objectives:

  • Patient Centric Orthodontics
  • Extraction versus Non extraction Orthodontics
  • Fixed braces or Clear Aligners

In 2021 the World Dental Federation (FDI) announced that they would lead the charge on sustainability in dentistry together with 5 industry partners, including TePe Oral Hygiene Products. One of the reasons for this initiative, is that healthcare – including oral care – is responsible for around 5% of the total global greenhouse gas emissions. Earlier this year FDI published a consensus that highlighted several issues that lies beyond the dental professional’s control, such as manufacturing of dental equipment, choice of materials, and waste management. It also highlighted that the dental professional’s main objectives are preventative care and high-quality dentistry. This will in the long run will reduce the emissions, since these actions lead to less operative appointments and therefore less use of material and less waste, but more importantly is that it will increase quality of life for our patients.

For us, to work in a sustainable way, it is important to understand the basics of sustainability, understand the concept of “sustainable development” and the United Nations sustainability goals. Having this understanding gives confidence and knowledge to do sustainable changes in the clinical environment in a systemic way. One of the most important parts in sustainable dentistry is homecare for our patients, which is the bedrock of all dental treatment, preventative to restorative. We constantly have to go back to basic for our own sake and for our patients, why oral hygiene is so important, how does oral hygiene products work and how do we get our patients to do what we tell them? Constantly reminding ourselves and our patients is the only way to achieve sustainable dentistry – and we can’t do it alone.

Learning Objectives

  • The attender will get an overview of the concept of sustainability, the UN’s 17 sustainability goals and how to work with them
  • The attender will get an understanding of the 3 pillars of sustainable dentistry – Procurement, Oral Care, Waste Management
  • The attender will get an understanding of a 3-step approach to choose oral hygiene products – toothbrushes, interdental cleaning, and special brushes – including the road to compliance

There are probably more controversies written on the management of ameloblastoma than for any other jaw lesions. Ameloblastoma in the jaw is accepted as a locally aggressive tumour, predominantly in the young and young adults.

Jaw resection is a widely accepted approach to treating ameloblastoma.

Preserving the involved part of the jaw and the involved teeth in the treatment of ameloblastoma is almost a heresy to conventional wisdom and is a patient’s dilemma.

This paper presents treatment and follow up of cases treated by non-resection and offered as a viable treatment option.

The rationale of case selection and treatment protocol will be presented and discussed with cases treated and follow-up for over 30-year period.

This presentation is a documentation that in selected cases, our young ameloblastoma patients can have an option to retain their involved jaws and teeth during the most productive phase of their lives. Herein lies the dentist’s enigma.


The expectation that dental restorations should be aesthetic, durable and minimally invasive is becoming the common expectation among patients who are increasingly well informed. The utilisation of all-ceramic systems, especially Lithium Disilicate, have rapidly become the standard and the cornerstone modality in meeting these expectations.  

The goal of this presentation is to demonstrate the treatment planning and execution of these modalities of treatment, from the simple everyday cases to the more complex and challenging cases. The focus will be on the posterior dentition, with emphasis on minimally invasive tooth preparations, adhesive protocols, and final cementation & finishing of these restorations.  

The indication and use of the Immediate Dentin Sealing (IDS) and Deep Margin Elevation (DME) will be discussed as part of the adhesive protocol of the procedure. 

The use of modern digital technologies; from digital scanning and planning, milling and 3D printing to simplify and facilitate the delivery of ceramic restorations will also be highlighted. 

Cracks affecting vital teeth (both asymptomatic and symptomatic) and the management of such presentations utilising adhesively bonded ceramic restorations will be detailed, providing guidelines for the diagnosis and management of this commonly encountered scenario in everyday practice.  

Learning Objectives: 

  • Optimal material selection for Bonded Ceramic Restorations. 
  • The role and use of IDS and DME in Bonded Posterior Ceramic Restorations. 
  • The guidelines for the use of Bonded Ceramic restorations in the management of cracks in the vital dentition. 


Covid-19 has changed the way we live our lives – mask wearing, social distancing, worldwide vaccinations, virtual communications. It has also widened the gap between people of different socio-economic groups. The rich have become richer; the poor have become more marginalised. Children, being dependent on parents/caregivers, are more vulnerable to the pandemic’s immediate and longer term spill-over effects. The world’s newest generation of children growing up in the pandemic has been given the name Gen C, or Generation Covid. Pity the children – in these times of global crisis and rising uncertainty, the onus is on us to understand their suffering, and to adapt in order to better serve our paediatric population. This talk will address the challenges practitioners may face with Gen C in terms of their psyche and hampered social development, access to care, and parental fears regarding contagion and vaccinations.


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