21 April 2023

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April featured dentist: Professor Giovanni Olivi

By Norberto Maccagno, editorial director, Odontoiatria33

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Odontoitria33 recently spoke with Professor Giovanni Olivi, president of the International Academy of Innovative Dentistry. He talked about the new academy and its goals and the organization’s first Congress, which will be held in Rome in October 2023. Olivi is a professor and scientific coordinator of the master’s program in laser dentistry at Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore. Learn more about the International Academy of Innovative Dentistry at: https://www.academyinnovativedentistry.com/

Q: Tell us about the International Academy of Innovative Dentistry (IAID), its launch and the goals. 

Olivi: The IAID was formed in October 2019 out of the desire of a group of colleagues from 17 different countries on five continents to come together and discuss diverse topics in dentistry — from pediatric dentistry to implantology, to highlight the two extreme poles — related to innovative technologies. 

It is not an academy that deals with a specific branch of dentistry, but it is instead a multidisciplinary academy. We discuss technology with a multispecialty approach using the most diverse range of equipment in practice, precisely like what happens daily in the dental office.

Q: Looking at dentistry from an international perspective, what issues are researchers working on that will bring the most innovation?

Olivi: Research is taking place globally. International dentistry is globally oriented to digital, and everything connected with it. 

Chair-side digital workflow is the most practical and fastest solution for restorative resolution of endodontic treatment. CAD-CAM technology, digital occlusal recordings and navigation systems are aspects of the modern approach in prosthodontics, surgical implants or orthodontics. All without compromise.

Q: In October 2023, you will host IAID’s first scientific convention in Rome. Why choose Italy?

Olivi: Rome was the site of IAID's founding, the headquarters of IAID, and the city where its current president lives.

Rome is also a city rich in history that attracts thousands of tourists every day of the year. The Cavalieri Rome venue is an ideal setting to host our international colleagues.

Q: During the convention, you will discuss innovations in dentistry, specifically in what branches?

Olivi: The danger of ultra-specialized dentistry is that clinicians lose focus on the patient in their centrality. At the convention, we want to talk about different topics related to patients.

For example, during the convention's first day, we will highlight the issues related to the short lingual and labial frenulum. An ideal diagnosis and treatment should be neonatal or pediatric. But this is a convention for dentists and the teams that work with them. If diagnosis and treatment fail at birth, after the neonatologist and the pediatrician, many other professionals are involved, including the orthodontist, the speech or myofunctional therapist, the physiotherapist-osteopath and those interested in sleep disorders. 

Here we use some of the modern technologies, for example, laser for minimally invasive surgical resolution of the short frenulum, microscope for accurate operative management of the procedure up to cone beams for the diagnosis of airway width in case of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA).

Q: Which lectures should not be missed?

Olivi: All of them! We have an extensive and top-notch program. For those interested in specific problems, the second day will focus on endodontics: cone beam diagnosis, innovative software to highlight lesions whose severity is not easily identified (cracks, root resorptions), navigation or guided surgery and irrigation.

The theme of the day, "Endodontics the future is here," will be presented by two lectures on irrigation: the multi-sonic technique for the first time presented in Europe and the activated laser technique.

On Saturday, three key opinion leaders of restorative and implant prosthodontics — Marco Martignoni, Galip Gurel and Gaetano Calesini — will be the speakers that should not be missed.

Q: On Thursday, members can attend hands-on workshops. What are they?

Olivi: The workshops represent an in-depth discussion of the topics presented during the three-day convention.

The Team Approach to lingual frenulum issues opens its doors to dental pediatricians and orthodontists, speech and myofunctional therapists, physical therapists and osteopaths.

For those interested in endodontics and laser therapy, the two pre-congress workshops will be the sessions to attend. The peri-oral and facial aesthetics workshop will compare conventional and laser techniques with two excellent experts in the field, Gaetano Astolfi and Linhlan Nguyen.

That's not all. The program during lunch breaks will include interesting clinical panels offered in the exhibition spaces by our sponsors or partners for dedicated and interactive insights, with no lecturer-student barriers.

The International Academy of Innovative Dentistry's first Congress in Rome takes place Oct. 19-21, 2023. The three-day event will feature comprehensive seminars, workshops, keynote lectures and interactive round table discussions on several fields in dentistry.