In this month’s Implants Today, we are proud to share an interview with a real leader in dentistry, Dr. Scott Ganz. Scott has been a friend and mentor to me for the past 25 years. In addition, I have had the good fortune to lecture and co-author articles with him multiple times over the years. It was an honor to glean and discuss the thoughts of one of the pioneers and experts in implant dentistry, including the importance of at least a few of the technological advances that are making a positive difference in the lives of clinicians and patients.
In the beginning of the interview, Dr. Ganz states that “So much has changed, and yet there are some things that should remain constant.” He is referring to the fact that, although technology has advanced, the fundamental principles of occlusion, centric relation, and other basic treatment principles are the real foundation of all implant dentistry and the restorative care that goes along with it. As much as technology has already advanced, and as far as it will continue to do so in the future, these fundamental principles will remain the same. As an experienced implantologist as well, I feel that this is a great perspective!
Next, Dr. Ganz talks about the importance of diagnosis and treatment planning—especially the importance of computerized tomography (CT) planning. He is being honored at the AAID Northeast District Meeting on his pioneering work with guided CT surgery. The message here from him is that all treatment starts with the right treatment plan and diagnosis, and that begins with utilizing CT technology. Dr. Ganz talks further about CT scans and the fact that many more clinicians need to consider implementing this technology and take advantage of the many benefits of the CT software programs now available. Through careful evaluation of CT scans, clinicians can gleam volumes of information related to nerve position, implant angulation, bone density, and much more—all helping to bring better patient treatment. Since Dr. Ganz is a proponent of guided surgery, he also elaborates on how CT scans and digital printers can create surgical guides from the plans created.
Also in this issue, we have an article by Dentistry Today frequent contributor, Dr. Rick Winter, who presents an insightful article on avoiding problems with full-arch implant reconstruction.
If you have any questions or comments about this topic, or any other subject presented in Implants Today, feel free to contact Dr. Tischler at mt@tischlerdental.com.
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