Orthodontics: Speed, duration, and quality with advanced techniques

A revolution has taken place in the field of Orthodontics, as with the help of advanced techniques, the final result can be predicted, and even the time required to achieve it can be accurately calculated!

These points were highlighted, among others, at the 14th Panhellenic Orthodontic Congress organized by the Society of Orthodontic & Maxillofacial Study & Research (E.O.G.M.E.) with the support, for the eighth consecutive year, of the Cyprus Orthodontic Society (O.E.K.).

The congress, held from September 23 to 25, 2016, at the Hilton Hotel, was attended by hundreds of delegates who had the opportunity to be informed about the latest developments in significant areas of orthodontic science.

The congress, titled “Speed, Duration, and Quality in Orthodontics,” featured esteemed Greek and international speakers with extensive clinical and research experience, who presented the latest scientific advancements in the field.

For example, Associate Professor Dr. Domingo Martin Salvador spoke about the importance of micro-aesthetics in achieving macro-aesthetics of the face and the modern approach to temporomandibular disorder. Professor Dr. Mark Hans emphasized the importance of early diagnosis and intervention in adolescents with sleep and breathing disorders from an orthodontic perspective. Associate Professor Apostolos Tsolakis discussed the orthodontic treatment of impacted teeth, while Dr. Stefanos Karakousoglou addressed the use of the lingual technique in daily clinical practice.

Associate Professor Dr. Giorgio Fiorelli and Dr. Paola Merlo presented their technique in selective arch expansion for the treatment of Class II, III anomalies and asymmetries, while Dr. Cristina Viyuela spoke about the therapeutic approach to patients using the Invisalign method.

The pre-congress seminar, titled “Accelerated Periodontal Osteogenic Orthodontics,” was conducted by Professor Dr. Donald J. Ferguson and Dr. Thomas Wilcko, who presented the results of their technique’s application. Meanwhile, Associate Professor Dr. Hugo De Clerck delivered the post-congress seminar titled “The Use of Mini-Plates in Orthodontic Support.”

The 14th Panhellenic Orthodontic Congress continued the tradition of presenting clinical insights from esteemed and experienced orthodontists, as well as the dental assistants’ seminar, which was highly successful, as was the case in the previous congress in September 2014. Additionally, there were numerous free communications and poster presentations that attracted significant scientific interest from the delegates.

As part of the congress, awards were presented for the best announcements. The award for the best free communication was given to “Geometric Morphometric Analysis of Craniofacial Complex Growth from Ages 12 to 14 in a Normal Population” by Alexios Katsadouris and Dimitrios Chalazonitis. The best poster presentation award went to “The Effect of Continuous Hydrostatic Pressure on Chondrocyte Differentiation” by Konstantinos Karamesinis, Anastasia Spyropoulou, Maria Katsianou, Christina Piperi, Eleni Vastardi, and Euthymia Basdra.

“The 14th Panhellenic Orthodontic Congress continued a series of successful national congresses organized by our society, which have now been established as the most significant scientific event in the orthodontic community. The congress title, ‘Speed, Duration, and Quality in Orthodontics,’ reminds us of the great ‘Antikythera Mechanism,’ an analog computer, a forerunner of today’s electronic computer. To construct this ingenious device, time and precise calculations were required to achieve the final goal with the best aesthetic result, just as in orthodontics, which has evolved so much that we can now predict the final outcome of treatment and its duration,” stated the President of the 14th Panhellenic Orthodontic Congress, Georgios Damanakis.

The board of directors of EOGME, consisting of Drs. Dimitra Kardara, Gerasimos Angelopoulos, Evi Stamu, Konstantinos Markou, and Vasilios Stathopoulos, along with all the members of the organizing committee, worked methodically and with respect for the values of modern orthodontics, ensuring the high standard of presentations.

On her part, Dr. Katerina Douma-Michelaki, a member of the organizing committee of the congress, stated, “It is a joy and an honor to be an integral part of a global orthodontic community whose goal is the continuous pursuit of ongoing education to provide the most advanced care to our patients.”