Sercan Akyalcin

Digitally Designed and Custom Printed Orthodontic Appliances

Recent developments in 3-D printing technology and customized and personalized therapy have made many options available for clinicians in treating orthodontic malocclusions. While many approaches are relatively new, we began to observe their superior outcomes in terms of precision, treatment length, and patient comfort. But are the custom appliances worth the hype? After attending this talk, the clinicians will better understand precision orthodontics and personalized treatment while recognizing the importance of incorporating diagnostic information in the treatment mechanics. The presentation will touch on critical points for clinicians to familiarize themselves with customized appliance design and fabrication. Finally, it should be clear to all attendees how to plan and execute the treatment of complex cases with a personalized approach. The presenter will use case examples and demonstrations to present the power of digital orthodontic tools and how they could be a part of every practice.

Dr. Sercan Akyalcin is the Head of Orthodontics at Harvard School of Dental Medicine. He has a DDS-PhD degree and is a graduate of the orthodontic program at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston. Before joining Harvard University, he was a faculty member at Tufts University School of Dental Medicine in Boston, where he also served as the chair and graduate program director of Orthodontics.

Dr. Akyalcin is active in many leadership roles, serving on the Northeast Society of Orthodontists (NESO) Board of Directors and representing NESO on the House of Delegates at the AAO. He also advocates for the Northeast region on the AAO Council on Education. As a dental educator and orthodontist, he has published fifty peer-reviewed papers, co-edited a textbook, contributed to twelve other orthodontic books, and served on the editorial boards of orthodontic and dental journals. In addition, he has been recognized with several awards in the field, including the 2019 Edward H. Angle Research Prize. Additionally, he serves as an examiner for the Council on Dental Accreditation and the American Board of Orthodontics.