Written by: Lori Bateman
“QDT is so unique compared to any other dental publication we have today.”—Dr Sillas Duarte, Jr
Each February when the annual issue of Quintessence of Dental Technology (QDT) is released during the Chicago Midwinter Meeting week, loyal followers attending the various conferences in the city line up to purchase a copy and get a first peek at the splendors it offers. “QDT is so unique compared to any other dental publication we have today,” says Dr Sillas Duarte, Jr, editor-in-chief for the past 12 years. “Every issue brings something new to the table—a new way of thinking, a new technique, a new approach—but always at the maximum highest standard.”
By studying the techniques and materials presented in QDT, everyone can have success, not only the most skilled.
Now in its 43rd year, QDT continues to offer the “best of the best,” as its name implies, in dental technology, esthetics, artistry, science, and digital techniques. But that is not to say the book is geared only to the best of the best dental clinicians and technicians. Dr Duarte contends that by studying the techniques and materials presented in QDT, everyone can have success, not only the most skilled. The QDT 2020 “Masterclass” article on esthetic restoration of bilateral cleft palate by Drs Iñaki Gamborena, Markus Blatz, and colleagues is one such example. The case is highly complex, but according to Dr Duarte, “presented in such a way that it is not overwhelming; it is just inspiring.”
The inspiration sparked by QDT is not the result of simply compiling a collection of new and interesting articles. The preparation of each annual issue is a yearlong process—one could say, a labor of love. Dr Duarte reviews the many article proposals he receives and will lend his advice to authors, both new and seasoned, at this early stage. He may occasionally solicit an article when he sees or learns of someone presenting on something new and interesting, but nowadays authors overwhelmingly seek out QDT for publication of their work.
Most manuscripts that are finally accepted will go through several revisions, some being entirely rewritten. Dr Duarte painstakingly provides his help and guidance to each individual author, or team of authors, to get the very best from them. “Each image is reviewed to ensure it has the perfect quality and shows what needs to be shown. I have no problem telling even a big-name author to retake the image(s) if not up to a certain standard.” He recalls that initially some authors were taken aback by this, but now they appreciate the thoroughness of the process and what it brings to the final quality of their article and the book as a whole.
The knowledge of photography and artistic sense Dr Duarte brings to QDT also has been key in helping Quintessence produce a beautiful and awe-inspiring book each year. Since he was a child, he has been passionate about books and visual interpretation. He began importing and collecting Quintessence books back in dental school, as not many were available in Brazil then. Dr Duarte explains that the combination of esthetics in dentistry plus the esthetics of the printed page—book or journal—interested him, so he would analyze what he liked so much and why it looked so good. Studying photography he learned to appreciate the composition of a pleasing image. “Also by defying the rules of photography, one can obtain very, very nice results as well as very tricky and interesting results,” he says.
Peruse QDT 2020 and you will see what Dr Duarte is talking about. Each article is carefully composed, first and foremost, to best present the material at hand for clarity and understanding by the reader, but also with a visual sense of style and dramatic photographic display.
Each issue of QDT includes an article or two designated “Masterpiece,” an author’s virtual show-and-tell best clinical case/ceramic work. QDT 2020’s Masterpiece article by Naoki Hayashi, titled “Harmony with Biology,” is a must-see collection of cases. Paulo Kano’s “Masterclass” article on 3D Magic MakeUp for building character into monolithic CAD/CAM restorations is both informative and insightful. Another popular feature of QDT is “Biomaterials Update,” an in-depth scientific review of a particular restorative material or related technique. In QDT 2020, photopolymerization is examined, specifically the scientific background and clinical protocol for its use in indirect bonded restorations.
One might say that the authors of articles featured in QDT are a virtual “Who’s Who” of restorative and esthetic clinicians and dental technicians. They bring their best work to QDT because they know and expect the care with which their material will be handled and ultimately presented in print. Also, as Dr Duarte points out, it is interesting that many of the sought-after internationally known lecturers in the field today have their roots in QDT, so for some it has been a springboard for success.
QDT 2020 is a perfect combination of craft, artistry, science, and technology.
QDT 2020, in Dr Duarte’s words, “is a perfect combination of craft, artistry, science, and technology.” In QDT 2020, and every issue of QDT, esthetic and restorative dentists and technicians will find more than a few things to savor and a great many pearls.
Sillas Duarte, Jr, DDS, MS, PhD, is the Rex Ingraham Chair in Restorative Dentistry, Associate Professor and Chair, Division of Restorative Sciences, and Director of the Advanced Dental Education Program in Operative Dentistry, Ostrow School of Dentistry of University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California. In addition to his 12 years as editor-in-chief of QDT, Dr Duarte serves as co-chair of the International Symposium on Ceramics, sponsored by Quintessence Publishing every 3 years. He lectures and conducts hands-on courses nationally and internationally, teaching cutting-edge clinical techniques and technologies related to esthetic and adhesive dentistry. His research and clinical work focus on bonding to dental structures, composites, and ceramics.
Quintessence of Dental Technology 2020, Volume 40
QDT 2020 presents original articles introducing clinical and laboratory techniques for optimal esthetic results with newer dental materials. Digital dentistry is featured throughout, with articles offering innovative ways to incorporate a combined digital/analog approach to build character and natural esthetics in CAD/CAM restorations. The 3D-printed interim immediate complete denture, self-glazing liquid ceramics, Inside Out technique, and 3D Magic MakeUp are but a few of the novel procedures featured in this beautifully produced annual resource for the laboratory technician and restorative clinician.
Authors include: Mario Alessio Allegri • Michael Bergler• Markus B. Blatz • Anabell Bologna • August Bruguera • James Choi • Victor Clavijo • Allegra Comba • Julián Conejo • Sillas Duarte, Jr • Iñaki Gamborena • Naoki Hayashi • Carlos Alberto Jurado • Paulo Kano • Tai Kim • Alena Knezevic • Rafael Laplana • Cristian Marchini • Masayuki Okawa • Jin-Ho Phark • John M. Powers • Yoshihiro Sasaki • Cristiano Soares • Douglas Terry • Yuji Tsuzuki • Fabiana Varjão • Shogo Yamamoto
256 pages; 1,000+ illus; ©2020; ISBN 978-1-64724-014-1 (JQ631); US $156