Better Than Just Dentistry

Javier Martínez de Pisón

jue. 16 marzo 2023

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Dentistry is an art form and a science that requires two main things: considerable clinical talent and intense passion. It’s also a profession that needs to be constantly nurtured, especially now that new technologies and digital devices are helping dentists bring back the long lost smiles of many people. Now, a new concept that includes hands-on training complemented by cultural experiences is raising a meeting to a new level.

 

Today, education and training are necessary requirements for professional success in dentistry, and hands-on workshops provide the only way for dentists to really feel and master the new advances in digital dentistry.

The recent development of a new kind of dental meeting, which includes educational courses, hands-on workshops, and visits to iconic cultural sites, takes this new paradigm into account, and is starting to change the way dental professionals learn and interact. Some even say that participating in clinical trainings and cultural events is more exciting than just practicing dentistry alone.

Clinical Innovation & Culture

The first of these meetings was held recently in Guatemala City, sponsored by Francisco Marroquín University, the provider of dental solutions W&H, and the dental distributor Magno Dental, in addition to the Popol Vuh Museum, which houses an extraordinary collection of archeological objects ranging from the Maya period to Colonial times.

Called "W&H Innovation Day & Culture", the meeting is not just a new way to present courses, but a truly unique experience in the field of dental education events.

In this first meeting, the Mexico City-based dental esthetics expert Sergio Hernández Delgado was the keynote speaker as well as director of the hands-on workshops. His talks focused on the optimization of adhesion based on the clinical principles of biomimetic dentistry, a clinical philosophy that tries to mimic the natural structure of teeth and uses conservative and minimally-invasive dentistry to restore dental pieces.

Dr. Sergio Hernández Delgado (above and below), a well-known specialist in Dental Aesthetics, gave lectures and led hands-on in a tour through Panama, Costa Rica and Guatemala. In the image, Dr. Hernández at a presentation in Guatemala on adhesive restorations. (Photos: Marcelo Gutierrez)

The expert also explained the rational use of devices such as electric micromotors for prosthetic preparations, following minimally-invasive protocols. After Dr. Hernández's talk, participants practiced restoration techniques in hands-on workshops, using a LED electric micromotor with handpieces or contra-angles.

The meeting is not just a new way of presenting courses, but a truly unique experience in the field of dental education.

Participants said they experienced greater control of the preparation with the micromotor, which, according to Hernández Delgado, produces "precise, clean and uniform margins which are easy to digitize." The Mexican expert highlighted that this advanced electric motor produces "less vibration than turbines, so fatigue and force also decrease during the preparation procedure.”

Attendees to the "W&H Innovation Day & Culture" meeting in Guatemala enjoyed one of the lectures at the Dental School of Francisco Marroquín University.

School of Dentistry Dean at Francisco Marroquín University, Estuardo Mata, described the "W&H Innovation Day and Culture" meeting as "a brilliant idea". Dr. Mata said that holding an event that combines the latest advances in dentistry together with a cultural event proved to be "an extraordinary model."

The enthusiastic response by Dean Mata was due in part to the fact that "the event was sold out and attendees left very pleased". He congratulated Oliver Goetzendorff, Area Manager of W&H for Latin America, for his strategic vision in creating the event. According to organizers, around 80 professionals participated in the "W&H Innovation Day & Culture" meeting in Guatemala City.

The Dean of the School of Dentistry of Francisco Marroquín University, Dr. Estuardo Mata (second from right), who said that the event was "a brilliant idea", posed for a picture with Oliver Goetzendorff, of W&H Latin America, Dr. Mauricio Gutiérrez, from Magno Dental, and Dr. Sergio Hernández Delgado, keynote speaker of the event.

The Popol Vuh Museum

For Dean Estuardo Mata, the visit to the Popol Vuh Museum, which is part of Francisco Marroquín University, was something very appropriate, since "due to our professional orientation and our personal interests, we dentists are closely linked to art and culture".

In addition to this story, Dental Tribune is also publishing an article written by Camilo A. Luin, curator of the Popol Vuh Museum, who offered exclusive guided tours to participants in the "W&H Innovation Day & Culture" meeting, where he provided descriptions and explanations of the social evolution and beliefs of the Maya culture.

Camilo A. Luin, curator of the Popol Vuh Museum, explaining the history of the Maya culture to the dentists who participated in the "W&H Innovation & Culture Day" meeting.

W&H's Area Manager for Latin America, Oliver Goetzendorff, started the meeting with a lecture on biosafety, an extremely relevant issue in our post-pandemic clinical environment. Goetzendorff explained the need to use a safe sterilization method for dental instruments, such as the "type B" cycle,” known as Standard EN 13060 in Europe. He added that it's a medical-grade sterilization method that fully dries the instruments, avoiding in this way the chance of cross-contamination.

The lecture by Oliver Goetzendorff, Area Manager for Latin America of W&H (above and below), focused on methods to avoid cross-contamination in the dental office.

Asked about the new cultural dimension of this scientific meeting, Goetzendorff said that "it's something that enriches us all and also entertains us." This new concept of Clinical Innovation and Culture, he added, "promotes events in which W&H offers the most advanced clinical solutions in unique Latin American settings, such as museums, colonial buildings, and archaeological sites, where leaders of these iconic places explain to attendees the history that makes them special".

"I hope this is the first of many events for professionals who are looking for a constant technological update of clinical applications, and where our traditions and cultural heritage come together to provide an unparalleled learning experience."

"For six consecutive years we have celebrated the W&H Innovation Day meeting with great success," said Dr. Mauricio Gutiérrez Solé, co-founder of Magno Dental, a large distributor of dental products in Guatemala. "We have brought the best speakers, helping to update Guatemalan dentists. This year the cultural factor was added, which makes the event unique. We are proud to host the first 'W&H Innovation Day & Culture' meeting in the world".

From left, Dr. Mauricio Gutiérrez, founder of the distributor Magno Dental; Camilo A. Luin, curator of the Popol Vuh Museum; Oliver Goetzendorff, of W&H Latin America, and Sergio Hernández Delgado, who was the keynote speaker, with his wife.

Carlo Albani, who coordinated details of the event for distributor Magno Dental, stated that it was "a cultural and scientific activity that enriched our dentists throughout a day in which there were presentations, practices, and social activities that completely broke with the routine of this type of events".

Dr. Sergio Hernández Delgado, a renowned specialist in Dental Aesthetics, was the keynote speaker and director of the hands-on workshops at the W&H Innovation Day & Culture meeting.

Practicing at a hands-on with the W&H Electric Micromotor, a powerful device that produces "precise, clean and uniform margins easy to digitize."

The ergonomically designed Electric Motor is small and light, so it does not cause fatigue when used for long periods of time.

Participants learned first hand about many of the advanced digital devices that were used in the workshops, as seen in the images above and below.

Probably the words of key opinion leader Hernández Delgado are the best way to describe what those attending this first "W&H Innovation Day & Culture" meeting experienced, when he said, "there was a fraternal atmosphere, a collaborative spirit of exchange, combined with the opportunity of upgrading using innovative technologies".

"I hope this is the first of many events for dental professionals looking for a constant technological update of clinical applications, and where our traditions and rich cultural heritage come together to provide an unparalleled learning experience," concluded doctor Sergio Hernández Delgado.

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