BDIA Dental Showcase Overview


So from Thursday to Saturday last week the BDIA Dental Showcase was held at ExCel in London.

Being a free event where I could also pick up some CPD as well as test out some dental products, I was eager to go even on a Saturday!

There were over 350 stands at the showcase with mini lectures running throughout the day.
Events like this aren't just for getting freebies (and there were a lot of free samples to have), they are great for learning about new developments in dentistry as well as areas of dentistry that you may not be so familiar with.
It's a great chance to meet new other dental professionals and network and pick up some dental products usually at a discounted rate.

I attended only a couple of the numerous mini lectures that were running on Saturday but the ones I went to were on topics that I didn't have that much knowledge of before the event.



Introduction to Myofunctional Orthodontics with Dr Dan Hanson


This talk really changed by way of thinking when dealing with treatment planning for orthodontics for children.

When at dental school I was taught that there are many different causes for malocclusions such as genetics and skeletal development. Dr Hanson however, believes that all malocclusions are caused by soft tissue disfunction.

Soft Tissue Disfunctions:

  • Mouth breathing
  • Incorrect lip and tongue function i.e. poor myofunctional habits
  • Incorrect swallowing reflex

If these issues are not resolved in childhood they can persist and cause problems as the child ages and have been linked to sleep apnoea and temporomandibular disorder in adults.
These habits are usually easier to correct whilst the child is still growing which can be achieved by using a functional appliance called the Myobrace (a type of Frankel appliance) as well as daily exercises to encourage the child to swallow correctly and breath through their nose.


Aims of Myobrace Treatment:

  • Lips should come together at all times except when eating or speaking
  • The patient breathes through their nose to assists the development of upper and lower jaws and to achieve the correct bite
  • There is no lip activity during swallowing - this allows the anterior teeth to develop correctly
  • Improvement of dental alignment
  • Improvement of facial development 

For more information about Myobrace please see their website.



Dr Dan Hanson presenting a case treated with Myobrace therapy

The Golden Rules of Success with Clear Aligner Therapy with Gary Dorman


Close friends have mine have already considered clear aligner orthodontics, but the name that always comes to everyone's mind first for this sort of treatment is Invisalign
This talk was given by a dentist who had used a different system on himself: In-Line

How is In-Line different to other aligner systems?

  • No attachments are needed for tooth movements
  • Aligners are made from a strong twin layer plastic 
  • Each aligner can produce 0.6mm of movement in 4 weeks whereas other systems move around 0.2mm in 2 weeks
  • Each aligner slots neatly into place so there is smooth and painless tooth movements
  • A comprehensive consent procedure is provided with post-treatment satisfaction certificates
  • There is choice of retention methods, but usually this is a fixed with a removable retainer for LIFE
  • Treatment times vary from 6-9 months
Therefore fewer aligners are needed, so lab costs are less and it takes less clinical time - you only need to carry out the interproximal reduction (IPR).

Suitable cases:
  • Quite severe crowding of anterior teeth
  • Tipping and rotations of incisor, canine and premolar teeth
  • Space closures
  • Slight anterior crossbites
Unsuitable cases:
  • Where molars need to be moved
  • Severe rotations
  • Changing of occlusions
  • Children - patients need to be at least 16 years i.e. when their occlusion is stable
In the above cases you should not try to treat the patient with clear aligners, instead they need to be referred to a specialist orthodontist
The In-Line lab will be able to tell you whether a case is suitable for treatment with clear aligners or whether they require a referral.

For more information please see the In-Line website or if you are interested in marketing aesthetic orthodontics in practice, see my summary of a Click Convert Sell webinar



Stalls at the Exhibition


One of the bigger stands at the exhibition: Colgate


Other stalls that I found useful to visit were the Oral B stand where you could try out their latest electric toothbrush (this was new to me as I had never used an electric brush before) and also some of the smaller stands such as Stoddard which designed some really funky looking interdental brushes.

I automatically refer to TePe's when talking about interdental cleaning (as well as floss) but some of these other companies as well as other big brands such as Wisdom manufacture interdental brushes of different designs which gives patients more of a choice when it comes to choosing which product they prefer to use. 

I also used the opportunity to try out some Loupes. As a DF1 I have heard constantly from different sources that I need to get Loupes, not only to improve the quality of my work but also to improve my posture so I'm not complaining about back ache 10 years down the line!
It was good to learn the advantages and disadvantages of the 2 main types of Loupes, which ones I could get my glasses prescription in, what magnification would be best for me (something between 2.4-2.8 I have been told) and also obviously the cost!

Heart your Smile also ran mentoring workshops throughout the day with different dental professionals - I attended one with a variety of different mentors from a dental therapist to a dental lawyer.
The system is there to help dental professional develop both professionally and personally, seeking help and advice from other people in the profession. They help match up the mentors and mentees so that they are compatible and it's a great way to network and get to know other professionals from all over the country. 


I had a great time at the showcase and I'm really looking forward to next years! 
(On the way out we also saw Peter Andre which seemed a little surreal considering we were at a Dentist event!)


Did you go to the BDIA Dental Showcase last week? Did you go to any of the mini lectures or buy anything there? What were your favourite stands and freebies? Let me know in the comments below! 



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