The 1st FACE Online Symposium was concluded end of February 2021, having attracted a record number of participants. The globally active FACE Group and FORESTADENT invited users of the FACE treatment concept to their first ever digital symposium.
Expertise of the highest level
A total of 19 FACE experts inspired participants with a selection of extremely interesting topics. Dr. Domingo Martin, who also acted as moderator throughout the two-day event, was one such expert. The Spanish specialist spoke about the importance of the vertical dimension in TMD patients and appealed to colleagues to take this into account during diagnosis and treatment planning. A targeted treatment approach for molar distalization using skeletal anchorage in the context of the FACE philosophy was presented by Dr. Jorge Ayala (Chile), while Dr. Rafael Ecija (Spain) shared his FACE treatment protocol for sleep apnea patients and Dr. Kieran Daly (Ireland) discussed mechanics for orthodontic gap closure in cases of missing maxillary incisors.
A promising look into the future
Participants learned about a new concept for even more precise diagnosis, treatment planning and individual implementation of the FACE concept from Dr. Alberto Canabez (Spain). With the help of a software, a patient's actual jaw movements can be recorded, which enables a significantly better understanding of temporomandibular joint dynamics. Another impressive presentation was given by Dr. Mike Gunson from America. The maxillofacial surgeon addressed “the pathology of speech” and sensitized the orthodontists, who had joined him from all over the world, to monitor their patients even more closely. According to Gunson, whether it is breathing, eating or speaking, being able to identify and understand a patient’s pathological adaptation as part of an interacting system increases the ability to provide even better care.
International FACE family
FACE experts from various countries shared their experiences from everyday clinical practice. This included orthodontists from Romania (Drs. Roxana Rugina, Bogdan Geamanu, Adrei Jacob and Adina Sirbu), Turkey (Drs. Turkan Nadire Yeşil and Korkmas Sayınsu), Poland (Dr. Kasia Wiśniewska), Chile (Dr. Carlos Becerra), Mexico (Dr. Bernardo Rodriguez) and Spain (Drs. Arantxa Senosiain, Iñigo Gómez Bollain). Dr. Oscar Palmas (Argentina) then focused on the management of the occlusal plane in hyperdivergent patients and, as the last speaker of this 1st FACE Online Symposium, Dr. Straty Righellis (USA) demonstrated how he convinces his patients to consent to the treatment plans proposed for them. From corticotomy surgery as a treatment tool and early class III treatment to extractions within the FACE philosophy context, the range of presentation topics covered a broad spectrum and offered something for every field of interest.
An all-round successful 1st FACE Online Symposium. Thank you to everyone involved for their commitment and, of course, a big thank you to those who participated – especially for the great feedback!