Henry Schein Ortho’s Third Symposium a First-Class Success by Dan Grob, DDS, MS, editorial director, Orthotown magazine

Overview
On the last weekend in February, some members of the Orthotown team were attending the midwinter meeting in Chicago—hailing cabs in freezing weather, shivering on street corners near the eastern shore of Lake Michigan. Orthotown founder Dr. Howard Farran and I, however, had a much different commute—just down the freeway to the Arizona Biltmore resort in Phoenix—our hometown. There, we observed Henry Schein Orthodontics' third symposium on orthodontic excellence and technology, where new and established names in the industry gathered to share their visions of the profession's future.

Ted Dreifuss, vice president of sales and marketing for Henry Schein, and Marie Gerson, the brand's director of strategic initiatives, recently spearheaded a decision to rebrand Henry Schein's orthodontic division and create what appears to be a total patient solution for orthodontics. The February event was the most recent sold-out symposium designed to illustrate and educate orthodontic professionals about the direction of the industry.

Speakers
Dr. David Paquette, lead orthodontist, worked with other team members to present an upbeat, modern and concise map of orthodontics for the future. Dr. Luis Carriere is the basis for that vision.

What started as an effective, elegant method of distalizing molars for Class II correction has morphed into a total treatment system capable of managing some of the most demanding treatment challenges. With abundant documentation and quality presentations equal to the American Academy of Esthetic Dentistry, Carriere walked the audience through diagnosis, treatment and retention of many patients of all ages. His "Sagittal First" mantra was on display as he showcased getting molars in Class 1 position, then arranging teeth with a newly branded self-ligating bracket.

As an added bonus, HSO chief research and development engineer Mark Payne was present to answer questions about the new and improved versions of all the devices on display. (He promised that more are under development.)

Dr. Sean Carlson patiently and concisely explained how CBCT imaging is an essential part of his practice, in the heart of Marin County, California. It was apparent from his patients and documentation that being able to draw on the digital talents of the nearby Silicon Valley startups and established software and hardware geniuses in the area has helped to position his practice.

Likewise, Dr. Juan-Carlos Quintero forever changed his practice with the addition of CBCT. CBCT has been especially useful in identifying potential airway problems—a growing find among young children, explained Quintero, who tailored his practice to take advantage of this new information.

A former sleep apnea patient himself, Dr. Lou Chmura documented how patients from youth to adulthood can be evaluated for airway disturbances. Documentation was provided, along with the basic components to help understand the effects of airway disturbances in patients of all age groups.

Dr. Thomas Shipley demonstrated why he's quickly becoming the go-to person on acceleration orthodontics, including procedures such as micro-osteoperforation and vibration technologies. Shipley explained how he came to the realization that accelerated orthodontics was good for not only his patients but also his practice.

Dr. Scott Frey, an expert on soft tissue orthodontics, has appeared before in Orthotown. His slightly unconventional approach to facial aesthetics by the orthodontist isn't what most attendees expected to hear or see at a CE meeting, but his points were well-researched and valid, and soon will be more widespread in the orthodontic industry. Concerns over turf battles and the validity of providing the services mentioned in his lecture were addressed with clear documentation and rationale.

Frey suggested that using neuromodulators and fillers in the orthodontic practice are all part of the total cosmetic solution that most of our patients are seeking and, furthermore, are part of a modern orthodontic and facial orthopedic practice.

Dr. James McNamara was the well-known and respected "big fish" in the group whose experience and objectivity were on display. McNamara presented original research on the validity of the Carriere system, outlining some early positive results of the studies. He called on the audience to comment on and compare his research by requesting before, progress and final sagittal X-rays, so the exact method of correction and results of various time points could be evaluated. As with all orthodontic research, the factors of individual growth and cooperation make an exact one-to-one comparison difficult and challenging.

Dr. James "Jep" Paschal discussed how he's used digital innovations in his practice.

Dr. Anil Idiculla spoke on charity in business and hyped up the audience on the advantages of living a fun, charitable (and profitable!) practice.

Dr. Michael Ragan provided 10 tips for integrating SLX and Carriere distalization in practice.

Dr. Bruce McFarlane showed several cases, including mixed dentition, incorporating many of the aspects of the HSO philosophy with the Carriere appliance as well as accelerated orthodontics (even with early treatment).

Practice consultant and frequent Orthotown contributor Charlene White implored orthodontists to "get with the program" in answering the needs of patients in a time-sensitive millennial-driven society.

Amanda Vasconcellos, who works in Paquette's office, provided tips for implementating Paquette's philosophy into a day-to-day basis.

"Clinical Tips and Pearls" has been added this year by several clinicians in breakout sessions, and included more speakers on a variety of topics. As elements of the HSO practice of the future are added and perfected, it is foreseeable that more clinicians will be added to the roster to discuss and testify to their effectiveness.

Conclusion
This was the second HSO symposium that I attended. Audiences are growing, clinicians are becoming more confident, and the number of exhibitors seems to be increasing.

For those of you wishing to attend a serious discussion of modern orthodontics without all the distraction of a "mega meeting," this kind of three-day event fits the bill. I'm sure I'll be attending more in the future.

For more information, check out hsosymposium.com.

Learn more about acceleration for CE credit!
HSO Symposium speaker Dr. Bruce McFarlane discusses the biology and logistics of micro-osteoperforation and its clinical applications in Orthotown's latest online CE course. To take the course to earn 1.5 hours of CE credit, head to orthotown.com/ce.