Tracking Toward the Mile High City
"An investment in knowledge pays the best interest." — Benjamin Franklin
In a little over two months we will convene in Denver for AAE18 – our annual association meeting. The AAE annual meeting continues to be the most comprehensive endodontic education summit, vendor exhibition and networking opportunity in the world. Seventy-five years ago marked the beginning of our association as we know it today and one year later in 1944, this association’s first continuing education program was held in Chicago. The initial program consisted of eight presentations, which included the topics, “A Physician looks at the Root Canal Problem,” “Morphology of Root Canals” and “The Bacteriologic Aspect of Root Canal Therapy.”
This year’s meeting at the Colorado Convention Center features six compelling education tracks, including one, as the name suggests, that will be arguably our most thought-provoking track: Controversies & Hot Topics. As you well know, there is never a dull moment in endodontics; and this brand-new category will not disappoint, with the first half of the day on Wednesday highlighting today’s challenges and tomorrow’s solutions with respect to canal cleaning and disinfection. The second half of the day will include a Lincoln-Douglas style, case-based debate on surgical versus non-surgical retreatment. The day will end with a call to action for endodontists to rethink the way we define our treatment outcomes.
The remaining tracks during the week will include Endodontic Microsurgery, Endodontics Without Limits, an Interdisciplinary track, and Essentials for Endodontic Practice. The sixth and final track will consist of submitted presentations covering a broad range of interesting topics from access preparation to apical surgery. Often paired with sessions similar in topic, each submitted presentation will be just 45 minutes in length. For more details on this year’s annual session, don’t miss a special article from AAE18 General Chair Dr. Alan H. Gluskin in this month’s Communiqué highlighting the different tracks and activities for the week. Reflecting back in time, it is significant to note from where we have evolved. Looking forward, the future of our specialty truly holds no limits. This year’s track organizers have assembled a spectacular series of continuing education presentations that will provide something for everyone.
"Education is the passport to the future, for tomorrow belongs to those who prepare for it today." — Malcolm X
You also won’t want to miss AAE18’s vibrant exhibit hall, offering innovations that could lead to new ways of treating patients and improving productivity. Our General Session keynote speaker, Aron Ralston, of “127 Hours” fame, promises to be inspirational as he addresses attendees on day one of the meeting. And finally, you most certainly won’t want to miss this year’s Celebrate! Denver event at Wings Over the Rockies – Colorado’s Official Air and Space Museum. Wings Over the Rockies is set in the middle of an immense hangar among historical aircraft and exhibits honoring our many members who have served in the military. It is a unique and fascinating venue that promises to provide us with an unforgettable evening.
In Denver there is no shortage of ways to spend your downtime. Explore the picturesque peaks of the Rocky Mountains (certainly beautiful in springtime); take in a sporting event; learn the legacy of the Old West; visit the art and history museums; taste one of the 200 beers brewed locally; ride a mechanical bull — the list goes on. We owe a lot of thanks to our tireless Planning Committee and track organizers, without whom these wonderful events would not take place.
Over my career I have always embraced the opportunity to attend the AAE annual meeting for many reasons: the continuing education, the social program, exploring the host city and reconnecting with my many friends and colleagues from around the endodontic world. I personally invite each and every one of you to join me April 25-28, in the “Mile High City” — Denver — for AAE18.
"Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever." — Mahatma Gandhi