Dr. Markus Blatz Guest Editor for Compendium’s Annual Materials Issue
Philadelphia — Dr. Markus Blatz, Professor and Chair of Preventive and Restorative Sciences at Penn Dental Medicine, was invited to serve as guest editor of the Compendium of Continuing Education in Dentistry’s annual materials issue. This special edition, titled “Addressing the Challenges of Modern Materials,” was the recent October 2016 issue of the Compendium.
As the guest editor of this issue, Dr. Blatz identified topics and contributors to share their views on the latest restorative material developments and research.
“Materials science is nimble and adept; each time we make an improvement in how we use a material or we introduce something entirely new, we build on decades of research and innovation and make the lives of our patients better,” says Dr. Blatz, who has worked in materials research for more than 20 years with a particular interest in zirconia bonding. An article by Dr. Blatz on bonding zirconia was among continuing education articles in this issue, discussing the history and development of high-translucent zirconia and explaining the necessity for proper cementation through the APC zirconia-bonding concept. That concept, he notes, includes three practical steps: A (air-particle abrasion), P (zirconia primer), and C (adhesive composite resin).
Dr. Blatz stresses that with the goal of practicing minimally invasive dentistry and preserving a patient’s natural teeth as much as possible, proper bonding techniques and adhesive materials play a vital role.
“Dental adhesion along with new digital and CAD/CAM technologies, has literally transformed restorative dentistry,” says Dr. Blatz, who also presently serves as President of the International Academy of Adhesive Dentistry (IAAD). “It allows us to be less invasive and apply the most esthetic materials.”
As the current IAAD President, Dr. Blatz is also leading the development of the 2nd Biennial Meeting of the IAAD, June 16-17, 2017, which will be hosted by Penn Dental Medicine. The two-day event, with the theme “Just Bond It” will feature a roster of international speakers on a variety of topics within adhesive dentistry, poster sessions on current research, and a corporate scientific forum. For more information on “Just Bond It,” visit www.iaad2017.org.