Endo future is bright, says leading endodontist
by Guy Hiscott
Dr Cliff Ruddle, one of the world’s leading endodontic clinicians, returned to Ireland and the UK on three dates last week for a comprehensive event covering the latest techniques and protocols in root canal treatment.
Hosted by Dentsply and in conjuction with FMC, The A-Z of endodontics with Dr Cliff Ruddle gave general dentists and endodontic specialists an expert view into the world of endodontics through a one-day lecture with Dr Ruddle, followed by hands-on sessions with local opinion leaders.
Taking place in Dublin, London and Manchester, the event also saw dental companies displaying their top endo products for a mini exhibition in between lectures. Delegates were able to browse from coffee stand to handpiece stand, testing out the market’s latest innovations.
But it was Dr Ruddle’s lecture that delegates had their eyes on – and the stylish settings of each host location certainly helped cement a feeling of excitement.
The renowned endodontist began his lectures discussing the future of endodontics, acknowledging that the ‘future is bright’ and ‘technology never sleeps’. He praised the importance of continuing education and claimed that universal agreement on the topics covered on the course does not exist, stating: ‘Nowhere in the world will we all agree on, say, shaping files, disinfection or frequency of irrigation. Today, you will not find out the truth, rather a collection of opinions and ideas – my opinions.’
Dr Ruddle’s enthusiastic nature helped loosen the audience into a relaxed and interactive atmosphere on each day, tackling matters such as endodontic diagnosis, access preparation, glide path management, three-dimensional disinfection and filling root canal systems.
Dr Ruddle was keen to challenge delegates’ thinking by tackling the basic way dentists describe treatments. ‘If you don’t like the outcome, change your thinking,’ he mused. ‘I want to hear you say you are treating systems, not canals. I don’t care what you use; I care about your outcomes and education.’
Dr Nancy Yousef, principal dentist at NHS Dentist in Fulham, attended the course on 1 October at London Heathrow’s Radisson Blu Edwardian, with her colleague Dr Amir Vahdat, also principal dentist at NHS Dentist. She admired Dr Ruddle’s ‘passionate’ style of teaching, commenting: ‘I like how we’re going right back to basics, looking at the anatomy and what works best in a modern endodontic procedure.’
Dr Hal Duncan, Dr Julian Webber and Dr Mike Horrocks each acted as hosts for the three separate dates, which took place on 29 September and 1 and 3 October, bringing even more expertise to the mix with an afternoon of hands-on sessions and a Q&A with Dr Ruddle.
Dr Piotr Laskowski, general dentist at Ealing Smiles, was impressed with the day’s events. ‘You can have all the cutting-edge technology you need, but you need to understand how to use it,’ he says. ‘I’ve now got a far better understanding of endo techniques, and I didn’t even know about Protaper or Waveone until today – I just wanted to learn more, and I did.’
