Congress highlights oral imaging in Asia

Dec 1, 2008

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Editor's note: Allan Farman's column, Talking Pictures, appears regularly on the DrBicuspid.com advice and opinion page, Second Opinion.

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The "all in one" Alioth, a new CBCT system from Asahi Roentgen (Kyoto, Japan), features the panoramic sensor deployed in front of a CBCT flat panel. The additional panoramic sensor is optional, as is a digital cephalometric sensor. This product is not yet available in the U.S.; when it is, it will likely be released by Belmont.

Having attended the 1st Asian Congress of Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology in Tokyo as an invited speaker, I felt it was a privilege to be invited to speak at the 7th Congress this year. The event was presided over by Professor Tomohiro Okano and was held in the temple district of historic Nara with the main events scheduled within the Japanese traditional No Theater.

While the largest delegations came from Japan and Korea, there were sizable delegations from China, Taiwan, Thailand, Indonesia, and India, as well as attendance from Europe and the Americas. There was also a sizeable technical exhibit with several digital and cone-beam CT systems on view alongside third-party applications software and image management systems (PACS).

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Autumn colors in Nara, Japan.

Major themes included oral and maxillofacial radiology in Asia (largely devoted to educational issues), diagnostic imaging using advanced modalities (MRI, CT, PET/CT fusion, etc.), cone-beam CT, and issues related to dosimetry.

It was clear from the congress that many issues in diagnostic imaging are common to all regions of the world. The main difference between some areas of Asia and the U.S. is the availability of high-technology medical imaging systems in many dental schools. The difference stems primarily from the fact that, in most of the world, dental training is secondary to dental healthcare in dental hospitals as opposed to colleges or schools.

Great Buddha Hall (Daibutsuden), Nara, Japan.

On a personal note, I was honored when Professor Sasaki (the first president of the congress in 1996) quoted one of my Word of Mouth blogs in his talk on dosimetry. He noted that this medium was being used effectively to instruct dental practitioners on the need to move away from relatively high-dose methods such as D-speed film and round collimation.

It appears that DrBicuspid.com has become genuinely international. I am pleased that this column is read by such top opinion leader as Professor Sasaki.

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