ADEPT Overseas Training, Part 1 — A Speaking Report from IADR-SEA 2026 (Phnom Penh, Cambodia)

Overseas training is a proud feature of ADEPT’s year-long course. As its first installment, in September 2026 we attended IADR-SEA 2026 (the 40th Annual Scientific Meeting of the Southeast Asia Division of the International Association for Dental Research), held in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. At the venue, Dr. Okazaki spoke in the Digital Dentistry Symposium.

What is IADR-SEA 2026?

This was the 40th Annual Scientific Meeting of the Southeast Asia Division of the International Association for Dental Research (IADR). It was held on September 17–19, 2026, in Phnom Penh, Cambodia (Shangri-La Hotel; host institution: University of Puthisastra). The meeting theme was “Transforming Oral Health: Innovation, Equity and Impact.” It is an international scientific meeting that brings together the latest research trends across Asia — digital dentistry, XR and AI, regenerative dentistry and smart biomaterials, and the reduction of disparities in public health, among others.

Dr. Okazaki’s presentation — “XR visualization” and the “Endodontic Copilot” in endodontics

Dr. Okazaki spoke in the Digital Dentistry Symposium, presenting cutting-edge digital technology in endodontics. His themes were a technology that superimposes and visualizes three-dimensional CBCT data onto the affected area using augmented reality (AR), and the “Endodontic Copilot” concept, in which visual and language AI works alongside the operator. This research was systematized through a series of presentations at the AAE (American Association of Endodontists).

The limits of “seeing” — Seeing is not doing

With conventional 2D dental radiographs, multiple canals and lesions overlap and become hidden. Even when three-dimensional data are obtained with CBCT, what is displayed still remains on a flat monitor. The clinician must keep assembling a three-dimensional structure in their head while scrolling through successive cross-sectional images. Dr. Okazaki described this cognitive load as “Seeing is not doing” (being able to see and being able to do it correctly are two different things), pointing out the “disconnect” inherent in 3D diagnosis on a 2D screen.

XR as a solution

The solution presented was an XR platform. By converting CBCT (DICOM) data into a lightweight 3D model in the cloud and delivering it in real time to ordinary smartphones and tablets — and even to AR glasses — it can be used for education, patient explanation, and intraoperative guidance.

The evidence — a basis in cognitive science

The presentation showed several cohort studies supporting the technology’s usefulness.

• A comparative trial in 43 dental students (2024): scores on an anatomy comprehension test improved by about 37%, and the time to a correct answer was shortened from about 15 seconds to about 4 seconds.

• A validation study in 10 licensed dentists (2023): the time required to identify morphology in difficult cases was significantly shortened, and the gap in image interpretation between specialists and general dentists was narrowed.

• An evaluation in dentists (2025): scores for grasping root canal morphology and explaining the condition to patients improved significantly compared with CBCT alone.

At the same time, Dr. Okazaki candidly presented the limitations of the current evidence (small sample sizes; a focus on the educational and cognitive domains, with the contribution to actual treatment outcomes not yet verified; and the inclusion of subjective assessments), and emphasized the need for future large-scale, multicenter verification. This very attitude of handling evidence with integrity lies at the core of specialist education.

What this means for participants

A seminar instructor presenting the latest research on the stage of an international conference and exchanging views with researchers from around the world — that sight is, more than anything, an inspiration to participants. The drive to “keep learning within the global current myself” is born from experiences like this. Beyond its lectures in Japan, ADEPT supports the growth of each participant through opportunities to stand at the forefront of world scholarship.

This article is a report on the overseas training of the ADEPT year-long course (Part 1, IADR-SEA 2026). As Part 2, New York training (New York Dental Meeting; NYU and Touro University) is planned for late November to December 2026.