The ACC Liverpool played host to this year’s exciting BACD Annual Conference, and the heart of the Albert Docks offered a perfect backdrop. This year really provided for all attendance, with world-class professionals sharing their extensive knowledge and experience in various disciplines and motivating delegates to raise the standard of their dentistry.

Inspiring change

This was an all-encompassing event for all things related to aesthetic and cosmetic dentistry, and delegates took away some truly valuable hints and tips. As was emphasised throughout the conference, modern cosmetic treatments are not just about creating the perfect smile through aggressive and destructive preparations. In fact, ideal aesthetic outcomes can be achieved through minimally invasive techniques simply by taking a new approach and enhancing patient communication and education.

Dr Zaki Kanaan, President of the BACD, highlighted the importance of this change in attitude towards cosmetic dentistry, when he officially opened the conference on Friday morning. He also encouraged delegates to teach patients and colleagues in a positive way, focusing on teamwork and smooth collaboration in order to improve clinical outcomes for patients.

Zaki went on to update delegates on the BACD’s progress and contribution to the on-going debates in the industry, including those regarding the GDC, CQC, NHS contracts, UDAs and tooth whitening protocols, before encouraging all present to donate to Bridge2Aid with a simple text, raising a fantastic £1,360! After thanking all sponsors, exhibitors and BACD members for their dedication and time in making the annual conference the huge success that it is, Zaki then welcomed Miles Hilton-Barber to the podium, who shared his personal story in the hope that he might inspire others to follow their dreams.

Miles went blind in his early twenties, and has since achieved some truly remarkable feats. Combining personal anecdotes, famous quotes and much humour, Miles encouraged delegates to push their limits and really see what they could do.

Educational opportunities

For those who wished to advance their clinical skills, several first-class, hands-on workshops were held on the Thursday, allowing those interested to really focus on their practical skills before the conference gained full momentum.

Presented by Dr Didier Dietschi, Dr Lee Ann Brady, Dr Rahul Doshi, and Dr Ken Harris, these sessions covered metal-free posterior restorations, anterior composites, functional aesthetics and the Kois dento-facial analyser. Each session offered the perfect opportunity for delegates to hone in on their skills and learn new techniques with leaders in each respective field.

After Zaki’s official welcome on Friday morning, the conference then hosted an array of lectures, offering an insight into a multitude of topics from clinical photography to minimally invasive techniques and digital solutions. Particular highlights of the day included Dr Christian Coachman speaking about digital smile design, who suggested that videos of the patient were important in addition to photographs, enhancing compliance enabling the whole team to better understand the full facial aesthetics for improved outcomes. He also highlighted that the ideal smile design is the first stage of treatment planning, and biology and function came next in order to ascertain whether the desired design is achievable.

Dr Didier Dietschi also attracted a full crowd, discussing direct composite application in a variety of different clinical situations. Using case presentations to illustrate his points, Dr Dietschi looked at full smile corrections in young people, minimally invasive rehabilitations and the future of composite in treating aesthetic deficiencies.

Saturday of the conference then held several more sessions, covering a wide array of topics such as preventing tooth wear, vacuum forming, accurate shade taking and the All-on-4^® treatment concept, as well as online marketing, website conversions, and practice growth. Key speakers included Dr Tif Qureshi, Mark Oborn, Tracy Stuart, Kevin Rose, Rob Whittaker, Peter Nutkins, Steve Cartin and Andy Denny, to name a few.

In addition, the BACD AGM was held, where members had the chance to offer their own ideas and opinions regarding the current and future Academy.

Recognition

For practitioners interested in achieving BACD accreditation, a dedicated workshop ran by Dr Christopher Orr and Dr Don Sloss provided the perfect platform from which to better understand the process. Delegates were able to bring along prospective cases for the group to discuss, highlighting where any pitfalls might lie when selecting cases for accreditation. The recent changes to the accreditation process involving new criteria for case 1, type 1, were also discussed in more detail.

Even more

Alongside the inspirational lectures and seven hours of vCPD available each day, the BACD Annual Conference also offered delegates the chance to source innovative products, technologies and materials from the trade exhibition. What’s more the fantastic social programme included a party held by Enlighten on the Thursday night, as well as the sell-out BACD Gala Dinner on Friday. Following the biggest turnout ever, the fun-packed evening was thoroughly enjoyed by all, with exquisite food, entertainment and dancing until the early hours.

Make sure you don’t miss out

Being a member of the BACD offers a wealth of benefits including opportunities to learn from the best international speakers, as well as regular local training and first-class education. It also provides full members direct referrals from its website, boosting your profits by increasing the numbers of patients through your door. Cosmetic dentistry is no longer about aggressive preparations for veneers and crowns – it’s about restoring natural beauty and function in a as minimally invasive way as possible. As Miles Hilton-barber said, you have to “dream big to achieve big”. Realise your dreams and those of your patients by raising the standard of your dentistry – join the BACD today.

For further information on membership of the BACD, call 0207 612 4166 or visit www.bacd.com