Dalhousie’s dental community is eagerly awaiting the grand opening of the new dental clinic this September. Thanks to many generous donors, including Nobel Biocare, the new clinic will provide students and faculty with state-of-the-art equipment and technology, and improve the level of patient care.
“We have had a wonderful working relationship with Nobel Biocare for over two decades," says Dr. Ben Davis, dean of the Faculty of Dentistry. "They are leaders in the field of implant solutions and have always provided us with unrivalled service."
Nobel Biocare’s recent gift to the new clinic will help to position the Faculty as one of Canada’s leading dental schools. Students will gain access to leading technology and equipment to maximize their learning experience while in school. Alumni and other oral healthcare professionals who return to Dal for continuing education will also benefit from the faculty having this impressive range of new capabilities.
“We are extremely grateful for Nobel Biocare’s generous support of our clinic renewal and their gifts will allow our students, faculty, staff and patients, access to top-quality technology and products,” continues Davis.
New technology
This gift provides the Faculty of Dentistry with a new dental cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) scanner, cutting edge LS3 Procera scanner, NobelClinician treatment planning software and other in-kind contributions to support the Faculty’s outreach work. The licenses will allow students to access innovative software to support their treatment plans for patients. The new CBCT scanner is an invaluable piece of equipment for students and faculty who provide implant procedures for their patients. The technology will help students gain more knowledge and hands-on learning with dental implants.
“Continuing our strong commitment to educating the next generation of dental professionals, we are extremely proud of this new collaboration and long-term relationship with Dalhousie’s Faculty of Dentistry,” says Hans Geiselhöringer, president of Nobel Biocare.
The relationship between Nobel Biocare and the Faculty of Dentistry dates back to the early 1990s when Dr. Doug Chaytor (DDS’59) implemented the initial implant dentistry elective program. The program has since grown in volume such that all students in the DDS program now get pre-clinical and clinical experience for patients requiring implant fixture placement and restoration of the implant fixtures. Implant dentistry has become a core component of patient treatment at Dalhousie with the Faculty placing close to 300 implants over the past year by both grad and oral surgery residents.
“Nobel Biocare has taken the time to facilitate implant education. They have given us the digital tools to create treatment plans and provide safe and effective surgical care,” says Dr. Kale Wudrich, a senior periodontics graduate resident at Dal. “This offers an important learning opportunity for students and residents, while having a positive impact on patient care and experience.”
Supporting students
In addition to providing innovative products and solutions, Nobel Biocare has been instrumental in supporting students with their studies. They provide support for residents in the General Practice Residency, Graduate Periodontal, and Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery programs. The company helps students stay up-to-date with the latest technologies and advancements in dental implants. They present workshops and provide hands-on training for faculty, students, staff, and lab technicians. Topics range from digital dentistry to more hands-on surgical restorative sessions.
“It’s been an exciting journey getting to this point and we are positive that utilizing the solutions from Nobel Biocare will ensure that patients and clinicians are having a world-class experience,” adds Cory Sears, regional sales manager of Nobel Biocare Canada. “With leading digital scanning technologies and the company’s family of implants, the learning experience will be able to reach new levels and continue to be at the highest possible standard in dentistry.”
“Nobel Biocare has been and continues to be the number one supporter of the implant dentistry program at Dalhousie,” says Dr. Gorman Doyle, a full-time faculty member and division head of Implant Dentistry at the Faculty of Dentistry.