Friday, May 23
1 p.m. - 5 p.m.
Sports Dentistry: Is there anything new? - Stephen C. Mills, D.D.S.
Sports Dentistry involves the treatment and prevention of orofacial injuries occurring in sports and collection and dissemination of information on these injuries. The field of sports dentistry has expanded however to include much more as dentists have become a valuable member of the sports medicine team. Mouthguards are not the only thing that sports dentists concern themselves with. As pediatric dentists we have many athletically active patients. These athletes and their parents turn to us to be knowledgeable and up to date on issues of sports and dentistry.
Important and current issues in Sports Dentistry are new designs and materials in mouthguards, concussions and the effects of mouthguards, field side evaluation and triage of orofacial traumatic injuries, mandatory mouthguard rules, systemic effects of mouthguard usage, computer models for trauma and mouthguard designs, and new epidemiology on sports injuries. The technique for the fabrication of a high quality heat pressure laminated mouthguards will be demonstrated. We also will discuss smokeless tobacco, third molars and sports participation and various aspects of the Special Olympics.
Upon completion of his specialty training Dr. Mills moved to Maine to enter into the private practice of pediatric dentistry. His commitment to sports dentistry began in 1991 as he followed the direction of his mentor and friend Dr Cosmo Castaldi. He joined the Academy of Sports Dentistry and ultimately became the president of this organization in 2001-2002. Currently he serves the Academy as the editor of its newsletter which appears regularly in the internationally read journal Dental Traumatology.
He lives and practices in Scarborough, Maine where he lives with his wife of 26 years, Loretta and has three children, Andrew 21, Sarah 19 and Jenny 16. While lecturing widely on sports dentistry he also enjoys the outdoor beauty of Maine, golf and all major New England sports teams, especially the Red Sox.
