Regeneration was not built in a day – but in three
Nearly 1500 young and experienced Italian periodontists and oral surgeons met for the National Osteology Symposium in Rome begin of November. The event was organized in collaboration with the Italian Society of Periodontology and Implantology (SIdP). It exceeded the expectations of the participants with a spectacular programme of workshops and lectures. World-renowned speakers shook hands on and off stage and were close and accessible to participants despite the size of the conference.
Fully booked workshop sessions
The first day of the three-day symposium opened with fully booked workshop sessions. The numerous participants were able to learn more about the digital workflow process in prosthodontic-guided regenerative surgery as well as get hands-on training with pig jaws on the topic of hard- and soft-tissue regeneration.
A special workshop session was held by the “National Osteology Group Italy & SIdP Giovani” group, which was especially dedicated to the surgical training needs of young surgeons. In this context, the Case Competition Winner in the Young Professionals category, Giacomo Baima, was also honoured.
A fulminant opening
The symposium was opened on Friday by the chairmen Raffaele Cavalcanti and Ronald Jung, Executive Board Member of the Osteology Foundation as well as Nicola Sforza, President of the SIdP.
Pierpaolo Cortellini and Ueli Grunder contested the first “battle of concepts” session with the initial question of when to save a tooth and when to extract and replace it with an implant. Cortellini was able to show some impressive “hopeless tooth” cases that he was able to save. Grunder countered with cases where the explicit patient wish for an implant and better aesthetics was paramount. In the subsequent video session, Matteo Chiapasco, Luca De Stavola and Mauro Merli presented their most impressive cases of large bone defects under the moderation of Isabella Rocchietta. Different treatment approaches to address different patient needs were presented. Jung and Luca Cordaro debated during the second “battle of concepts” session on treatment options after implant failure. The recommendation was made to keep the original restoration if possible and the timing of implant removal was defined as crucial. Mario Roccuzzo, Frank Schwarz and Stefano Parma Benfenati contested the last session, moderated by Daniele Cardaropoli, on treatment options for peri-implantitis. The treatment methods ranged from implant site debridement and decontamination to implantoplasty. No standardized method could be defined, as implant designs differ widely and different treatment options should be applied based on the clinical need.
A firework display of clinical cases
Saturday started with a brilliant session on treatment options for multiple periodontal recessions. Sofia Aroca, Massimo De Sanctis and Ion Zabalegui presented their spectacular cases of gingival recession, which could be solved by using either the modified coronally advanced tunnel technique or the coronally advanced flap technique. In either case, total root coverages could be achieved and maintained over a follow-up period of several years. The symposium concluded with possibly one of the most challenging topics, namely peri-implant soft-tissue management in the form of a showdown between Martina Stefanini and Francesco Cairo, moderated by Leonardo Trombelli. Both Stefanini and Cairo agreed that implant malpositioning is the main cause for soft-tissue recession and, together with the thin phenotype, an important predictor of aesthetic failure. While Stefanini showed some cases of successful soft-tissue augmentation, Cairo presented cases with GBR and connective tissue grafting to prevent bone loss and recession in the long term.
The well-attended poster session then also crowned its winners on Saturday, Lucia Schiavon and Mario Romandini.
The event was a great success for both organizations, the Osteology Foundation and the SIdP, which both aim to increase the impact of their educational activities. Moreover, we would like to thank our local partners for their valuable support to realize such a fantastic event.
Go to the picture gallery here.