Sitting in a theatre noted for drama, listening to speakers noted for their eloquence, in a city noted for its vibrancy, the Oral B Up-to-date Seminar provided a plenitude of all three. The Shaw Theatre at the Novotel Hotel in St Pancras, London, was bulging at the rafters, struggling to contain the few hundred delegates cradled in its seats who sat enthralled by the lectures.
After a delicious buffet meal we ushered ourselves into the Shaw Theatre, where Stephen Hancock introduced the much-anticipated proceedings by reminding us that the theatre was named for the dramatist George Bernard Shaw, a perfectly apt distinction in view of the lively speakers about to grace the stage.
The first lecture was by Prof Iain Chapple of Birmingham University, who had the unique skill of making periodontal disease seem fascinating! He spoke of the revelatory new concepts that linked periodontal disease to many other systemic causes of mortality. The underlying villain of the pathological piece was inflammation, present in most chronic diseases as well as periodontal disease, and it is becoming acknowledged that this inflammation determines the outcome of mortality and disease, rather than simply being a reaction to it. Prof Chapple said this inflammation is influenced significantly by lifestyle and diet, particularly a lack of exercise and a high simple carbohydrate intake. Eliminating free radicals is not something lifted from the plot of a James Bond novel, but an essential part of abating the detrimental effects of metabolic oxidative stress. Without blinding us with intricate science, Prof Chapple surprised us with the evidence that periodontal inflammation can be reduced through better diet alone, even in the absence of oral hygiene! An unfortunate enlightenment for myself personally was that too much sleep can also adversely affect longevity, and less sleep didn't seem to have a detrimental impact.
We broke for our caffeinated interlude enriched by the knowledge that lifestyle choices, especially those of our patients, could have a profound effect on the risk and progression of periodontal disease as well as other chronic diseases. Dietary choices were deemed so important that many of the delegates considered taking out shares in nutrient-rich foods such as broccoli and pistachio nuts.
The second lecture was by Prof Philip Preshaw of Newcastle University and continued the prevalent themes of the evening with a look at the relationship between inflammation, obesity and periodontal disease. Prof Preshaw broke down some detailed biochemistry into a series of highly accessible concepts, no easy feat given the heady subject matter. He also provided some historical background to some early concepts of the genesis of periodontal disease, sharing that many established ideas haven't changed all that much in more than 100 years. We learned that obesity rates have increased in recent years almost alongside rates of periodontal disease, and the risk of the latter increased with the onset of the former.
The clear message of both talks was that there is an increasingly holistic view of the very pathologies that we deal with on a daily basis, and the restricted niche within which most dentists operate needs to open up and invite science from the whole spectrum of systemic disease. Doing so will deepen our understanding of both the causes and management of such disease and enhance the quality of advice that we give to our patients.
Both lecturers, so obviously and admirably passionate about their fields, set out to educate, but also entertained us, surprised us, and left us wiser than we were before. Their enthusiastic delivery of the latest thinking exemplified the reality that our profession isn't getting older and weaker; it's getting younger and stronger.