BACD 22nd Annual Conference

Not Just a Pretty Smile: Cosmetic Dentistry as Preventive Medicine

Cosmetic dentistry is evolving fast, but the biggest frontier is not a new material or technique. It’s predictability. In this talk, James reframes aesthetic dentistry as preventive medicine: stabilising the biological drivers (caries risk, periodontal inflammation, airway and bruxism stress and lifestyle factors) so cosmetic work lasts longer and patients genuinely move towards better healthspan.

Learning Objectives
By the end of this session, delegates will be able to:

Recognise and manage key risk factors that compromise cosmetic outcomes (e.g., active caries risk, periodontal inflammation, erosive diet/snacking patterns, xerostomia, bruxism/wear, mouth breathing/sleep issues) and use these to plan safer sequencing. (GDC outcome C)

Communicate a prevention-first treatment pathway that supports valid consent and shared decision-making, including how to explain “disease control before elective care” in a motivating, patient-friendly way. (GDC outcome A)

Apply an ethical, patient-centred approach to elective dentistry by balancing patient goals with long-term stability, maintenance planning, and putting patients’ interests first when risk is high or compliance is uncertain. (GDC outcome D)

Changing lives with every breath

Many of us place more importance on charging our mobile phone at night than recharging the most important digital technology we possess …….our brain!

During this session we will show how sleep is often the neglected foundation that supports our physical and mental wellbeing, allowing us to enjoy a good quality of life. It is only when we are sleep deprived that we appreciate how this compromises how we feel and negatively impacts our mood and personal relationships.

Sleep is often overlooked when we consider our quality of life and wellbeing. Sleep has significant relevance on our clinical accuracy as we strive to deliver care to patients and many dentists are unaware of the influence sleep has on the conditions we manage and treatments we provide.

As clinicians we attend many courses on treatments that we never experience personally ….yet we all experience sleep deprivation. 80% of patients with Obstructive Sleep Apnoea are undiagnosed, and many of these sit in our dental chairs each day……do you know how to identify if you, a family / team member or patient are undiagnosed and how to successfully manage their care?

Aims & Objectives

• Appreciate the importance of good sleep for our personal health and quality of life.
• Recognise how sleep deprivation compromises the accuracy of all our clinical workflows.
• Understand what is Sleep Disordered Breathing (snoring & Obstructive Sleep Apnoea) and how it associates to many dental conditions such as dental erosion, bruxism, TMD, perception of pain, periodontal disease.
• Confidence in successfully screening patients who are suitable for management in primary dental care.
• The role of patient smartphone apps and wearable sleep monitoring devices.
• Identifying patients to be referred to a medical colleague for investigation, diagnosis and treatment prescription.
• Demonstrate the award winning clinical and laboratory pathway in patient care to deliver a Mandibular Advancement Appliance and manage appliance complications.
• Medico-legal issues

Learning Outcomes

To provide an understanding of the role of the General Dental Practitioner in Dental Sleep Medicine in accordance with current guidelines, with an emphasis on digital workflow.

GDC Learning Outcome A, C, D