Call for Abstracts

The 20th Anniversary Annual Conference of the Academy of Laser Dentistry, with the theme "Celebrating the Past while Embracing the Future" is February 7-9, 2013 at the Rancho Las Palmas Resort and Spa in Palm Springs, California.

The planning committee seeks a variety of speaker topics that address the future of dentistry, especially as it relates to the use of lasers and light technology in clinical applications in daily practice today, scientific research, clinical tips and techniques, and practice management & business administration for the entire team.

Documents Available for Downloading

Submission Process for the 2013 ALD Conference

If you are interested in submitting an abstract for presenting at the ALD's Conference, please read and follow the guidelines below. Then download and complete the online submission process at this link . At any time you may contact the General & Scientific Sessions Chairman by sending an email to Abstracts@LaserDentistry.org.

Click Here to Submit Now!

The completed forms must be received by June 1. You will be able to add or make necessary changes to your submission but we must receive your abstract no later than June 1, 2012.

Abstract Submission Deadline: June 1, 2012

TO MAKE CHANGES OR UPDATES TO SUBMITTED ABSTRACTS CLICK THE SUBMIT NOW! ABOVE

After October 1, new submissions will not be accepted. Selected speakers are encouraged to use the information on this site concerning ALD's speaker policies and procedures.

Acceptance Notification Date: September 1, 2012

Requirements for Abstract and/or Course Description Submission

General Guidelines

Purpose
The focus of the Academy Laser Dentistry Annual Conference is to share knowledge and educate the attendees and members of the Academy of Laser Dentistry (ALD) on the science, research, and utilization of lasers and related light based technologies in the field of dentistry.

Author Guidelines
An individual may submit more than one abstract and may appear as a co-author on other abstracts. The primary author must have the consent of all co-authors listed on the abstract or course description prior to submission. At least one of the authors must attend the conference to present the material. Material that has been previously presented will be considered, but must be current and relevant to this conference.

All authors, presenters, and moderators must review and consent to the Academy of Laser Dentistry's "Policy and Guidelines for Commercial Support and Potential Conflict of Interest". Having dual commitments and /or a potential for a conflict of interest does not preclude a person from presenting at the conference, however it must be fully disclosed to the Academy of Laser Dentistry and the attendees to the conference. Failure to disclose will be determined to be a violation of ALD's Principles of Ethics and Code of Professional Conduct. Penalties for failure to disclose will be considered at the discretion of the ALD.

The Academy Laser Dentistry does not award honoraria or travel / lodging per diems to its members or to the presenters submitting abstracts or course descriptions. All presenters are required to register for the conference at applicable fees. Members in good standing of the ALD who reside outside North America and are unable to attend the conference may submit an abstract for consideration in the poster presentation category, however this requires that the author have a proxy present the poster for him/her. The proxy should be an ALD member attending that is extremely familiar with the project and its outcomes.

Submittal Procedures
After reviewing and understanding the information provided on the ALD website and downloading the appropriate Guidelines the author(s) must complete the online submission process.

English is the official language of the Academy of Laser Dentistry and all documents and presentations must be completed in English.

For convenience of the submitters the online submission process allows:

Authors to type or paste their abstracts directly into a text box or boxes on the submission form
The form will accept plain text with styling (bold and italic), superscripts, subscripts, bulleted and numbered lists and symbols. No tables, diagrams or photographs are allowed for the submission. Upon acceptance, authors will be able to provide additional text, tables or diagrams for publication in the onsite program.

Amending a Submission
An abstract or course description may be amended at any time prior to the submission deadline by revisiting your submission online and making the necessary changes. All changes or amendments must be submitted by the deadline date of September 1. If your abstract summary is selected for presentation, you will be able to add additional data later for the conference program. Authors of scientific research studies will have an opportunity to add results and conclusions by September 1, 2012.

Presentation Guidelines

General Guidelines for Oral Presentations
A single LCD projector will be provided and the microphone must be used as the presentation will be video recorded; if any additional audio-visual requirements are needed for your presentation they must be listed on your submission template. Each oral presentation will usually be followed by a short question and answer period. A panel discussion may follow each oral presentation module. Due to time constraints, it may be necessary to ask authors to alter their presentation or to convert it into a poster presentation. The authors will be notified and asked to consider this change if necessary.

The Academy reserves the right to edit all abstracts, course descriptions and summaries, biographies and other program information. Authors will be given the ability to accept any of these changes or to withdraw their submittal. Preference may be given to presentations with information that has not been presented at previous ALD conferences.

Clinical Case Presentations
Clinical Case Presentations can be either an oral lecture presentation or poster presentation. Oral presentations should be as concise as possible to properly present the clinical case in sufficient detail. Generally this can be accomplished in approximately 15 minutes. Clinical case studies should follow the format of the "Clincal Case Presentation Sample Guidelines".

Scientific Research Presentation Guidelines

Introduction	State the objective and the current state of knowledge related to it, as well as the reasons for investigating it.
Materials and Methods	Present detail sufficient for the reader to repeat the investigation, including the measurements and the investigational strategy and design. Specify model/product name and manufacturer for all devices and products used.
Results	Present the results of the experiments in an order designed to convince the reader of the truth of the papers conclusions. Reliable observations combined with valid logic result in sound conclusion.
Discussion/ Conclusion	State logical arguments that link the data in the results section as well as the work of other investigators to the conclusions. Reliable observations combined with valid logic result in sound conclusion.

Discussion and Interactive Forums
Concepts for forums must include a detailed description of the focus and expected attendees (dentists, administrative staff, diode laser users, etc.)

Participation Hands-On Courses and Lectures
The course description must include sufficient detail to warrant presentation time. A list of required materials and devices and who is responsible for providing them must be included in the submission.

Poster Presentations
To download the complete 2012 guidelines and recommendations for a Poster Presentation, click here. The ALD is very pleased to continue offering Poster Presentations for 2012.

A poster presentation is a self-contained bulletin board organized in such a way that research data, clinical case studies, or procedural techniques can be displayed while standing by itself. It allows attendees to view and more closely study the information presented through out the entire conference. It also allows the authors to personally interact with the attendees interested in the topic on a casual basis. A poster should be able to stimulate ongoing discussions between the attendees even when the authors are not present. The ALD's Guidelines for Poster Presentations 2012 provides detailed advice.

It is planned that the posters will be on display through out the entire conference (Thursday to Saturday at 1:30 pm) in the Exhibition Hall. The goal is to present relevant information that is of a technical or clinical nature displayed graphically, giving the reader your objectives, methods, materials, results, discussions, and conclusions. The author's role during the assigned oral presentation time is to summarize the key points in casual nature for subsequent discussion. Please use the guidelines when preparing a poster presentation for the Academy of Laser Dentistry conference.

Acceptance Notification Date: September 1, 2012
Notifications of acceptance and non-acceptance will be sent by September 1 by EMAIL ONLY. Notices will indicate either acceptance (mode, time, date,) or rejection.

Audio/Visual Capabilities & Mandatory Speaker Meetings
Use of an LCD projector is required for all general & scientific session presentations. Speakers are required to attend a speaker meeting to test the compatibility of their presentation with the equipment provided (software, projector, sound system, etc). This is to ensure that the program will run smoothly and that the speaker is familiar with the environment and flow of the entire module. Whenever possible the presenter is encouraged to load the presentation onto a master computer for ease of use during the sessions.

Special Requests
If you have any special requests-i.e., religious, academic, or personal conflicts-please enter this information in the "Comments to Review Committee" box when entering your abstract.

Abstracts Selection Criteria
Presentations will be selected for the program on the basis of the scientific quality, clinical excellence of the work, practical relevance in providing solutions to current issues, and suitability for inclusion in the program, as judged from the submission. An impartial panel of reviewers will evaluate the content of each abstract and course description. Selection of the presentations to be presented will be made by this panel.

Since the abstracts are published and become part of the world's scientific literature, it is important that the content be scientifically sound and grammatically correct. Each abstract is reviewed so that high standards can be ensured.

Speaker notifications will be e-mailed indicating either acceptance (mode, time, date, room assignment) or rejection.

Invitation Letters
If an official invitation is necessary for you to obtain a visa or any other reason to attend the meeting, indicate "Required" under the "Official Letter of Invitation" section.

PLEASE NOTE: Invitation letters will not be processed until you have registered and paid for the meeting. If the attendee is unable to obtain a visa, the full registration fee will be refunded when a copy of the visa rejection is received by the ALD Central Office.

Withdrawing an Abstract or Course Description Submission
Requests to withdraw papers must be made in writing (email) by the presenter (requests from anyone other than the presenter will not be honored) and submitted to the Central Office to Abstracts@LaserDentistry.org by October 1. After the Proceedings Book is printed (November 1, 2012), the paper may not be withdrawn. However, if, after this date, the speaker finds it impossible to give the presentation, the speaker must send written (email) notification with an explanation and the name of a substitute presenter.

If you want to withdraw an abstract/summary please contact the conference administrator at the Academy's central office by email at Abstracts@LaserDentistry.org. Please enter the phrase "Withdrawing Abstract" in the subject line.

An Overview of the Operating Principles Governing Disclosure of Dual Commitments and Potential Conflict of Interest
To download the complete guidelines click here.

Dual commitments governed by the Academy of Laser Dentistry's Conflict of Interest and Disclosure Policy include but are not limited to:
- Consultancies (paid or unpaid)
- Ownership of companies, stock options, stock ownership, equity
- Current or pending ownership of patents, patent licensing agreements, royalties, copyrights
- Financial interest (honoraria for lectureships or other teaching activities, stipends)
- Special customer preferences (material donations, clinical materials, special discounts, special gifts)
- Governance (corporate responsibility, corporate allegiances such as service on governing boards)
- Research contracts, grants, or other support for investigation
- Paid expert testimony
- By virtue of present or past employment of immediate family or relatives.
Academy of Laser Dentistry requires disclosure of dual commitments. In determining the significance and extent of a dual commitment, ALD considers the following:
- Scope of the commitment or relationship
- Frequency and timing – whether past, recent, occasional, or long-standing
- Number – a single, exclusive relationship vs. Multiple, competing relationships.

Author(s) Consent
By submitting this abstract and /or course description, the author is stating that they have read and agreed to the requirements set forth in the "Guidelines for Selected Speakers" on the Academy of Laser Dentistry's website. With this submission the author is committing in good faith their willingness and ability to speak during the assigned time. All selected speakers will be required to sign copyright release for publication in the "Journal of Laser Dentistry: Proceedings of the Academy of Laser Dentistry 2012 Annual Conference", and associated Academy of Laser Dentistry publications. If the abstract and/or course description is accepted, the author must agree to register for the conference no later than December 1, 2012 at applicable fees and understands that no honoraria or travel/lodging per diems will be provided by the Academy of Laser Dentistry. Should the presenter fail to register by the deadline the abstract and presentation will not be included in the program.