NYU College of Dentistry

International Implantology Week

International Dentists Attend Implantology

Week at NYU College of Dentistry
NEW YORK - A group of about 250 clinicians recently
gathered at the New York University (NYU) College of
Dentistry for the second annual International Implan-
tology Week.
Hom-Lay Wang, MS, PhD, served as the clinical
chair for the symposium, which draws clinicians from
all over the world. In an interview, Dr. Wang said he
worked with NYU and Zimmer Dental, which pro-
vided educational funding to NYU for the program, to
provide international clinicians with the latest implant
research findings, techniques, and information in the
surgical, restorative, and regenerative fields. This is the
second year for the course, and Dr. Wang said he was
very pleased with attendance, despite a slight drop from
last year due to the tsunami in Japan and some visa is-
sues surrounding attendees from the Middle East.

Rapid Change and Essential Innovation

“Like all of health care, dental implantology stands
poised on a threshold of rapid change and essential
innovation,” Dr. Wang said in a statement to the at-
tending clinicians. “Treatment modalities continue to
evolve.”
During the interview, Dr. Wang said that the field
has seen a wave of new data on BMP, regenerative ma-
terials/techniques, new implant materials and designs,
sinus lift kits, and abutments in recent years. He specifi-
cally mentioned Zimmer’s latest innovation, the CurV
Pre-Shaped Collagen Membrane, as an example of tech-
nology that is changing the industry.
Dr. Wang also talked about how Mother Nature ul-
timately dictates how best to proceed with implants for
patients. “The biology never changes,” Dr. Wang said.
“You have to focus on understanding the biology and
then applying the technique based upon this important
concept. If you know how to use the tools, you can
succeed.”
Success Through Education
Dr. Wang praised Zimmer Dental for their commit-
ment to providing dental professionals with the educa-
tion to achieve implant success.
Through programs like the Zimmer Institute, which
features high-definition cameras and streaming video
capabilities to transfer traditional classroom training
into learning collaborations, the Institute and educa-
tional funding from Zimmer for courses like the one at
NYU gives clinicians the latest information on changes
in the profession. The Zimmer Institute also features
real-life scenarios for clinicians to practice patient case
exploration, case discussion, and authentic supporting
documentation on restorative mannequins. The Zim-
mer Institute training center at its Trabecular Metal
Technology (TMT) facility in Parsippany, New Jersey
also offers education, offering attendees cadaveric-basic
training, intensive case study reviews, simulations and
anatomical model workshops. Opened last year, it is
the first full-time BioSkills training center outside of the
Zimmer Institute’s headquarters in Warsaw, Indiana.
The center also includes a state-of-the-art dental facil-
ity, providing training in both surgery and prosthetics.
Dr. Wang said the Zimmer Institute programs and
the NYU meeting are evidence of Zimmer’s commit-
ment to put education first. “This course is designed to
teach people the newest techniques/materials, and how
to do them well,” Dr. Wang said. “Once they learn
those techniques and understand the materials, we all
benefit.”—Colleen Platt
Hom-Lay Wang, MS, PhD
Hom-Lay Wang, MS, PhD, served as the clinical chair
for the symposium.

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