Topic 1: Solving Grafting Problems in the Anterior Mandible with the Tunnel Technique

Although the tunnel technique is commonly used to treat recession in the maxillary arch, it is underutilized in the anterior mandible due to concerns regarding aberrant frenum involvement, vestibular depth, deep recession, and thin mucosa. This lecture will examine these concerns and illustrate technical modifications to overcome these limitations.

Topic 2: 30+ Years in Search of Alternatives to Autogenous Tissue

This course examines the presenter’s quest to find suitable alternatives to autogenous tissue for grafting periodontal defects. A variety of options will be presented, along with a decision-support system to help clinicians determine which alternatives are most appropriate.

Topic 3: The Autogenous Connective Tissue Graft from the Hard Palate: Donor Sites, Harvesting Techniques, and Their Clinical Consequences

Over the last 40 years, the autogenous connective tissue graft from the hard palate has been the gold standard for esthetic soft tissue volume augmentation in the oral cavity. The aim of this presentation is to discuss the clinical consequences of using connective tissue grafts with different tissue compositions from various donor regions of the palate and to shed light on their possible impact on treatment outcomes.

Dental implants became one of the major preferred treatment options to replace missing teeth for 100 million people, yet over one million implants fail to integrate and lose supporting bone due to peri-implantitis. Multiple etiologic factors have been identified to contribute to this devastating disease, and today’s presentations will allow us to understand the prevalence of peri-implantitis as well as lead to a deep understanding of potential treatment options that have been proven to be successful in the prevention of the disease progression.

Bacteria have co-evolved with humans, adapting not only to genotypic idiosyncrasies, but also to behavioral and lifestyle changes. Together, the human and the microbiome we host form a ‘holobiont’, with these organisms playing a vital role in maintaining our physiology and health. Moreover, these dynamic communities form ecosystems within various niches in the human body, and by virtue of this lifestyle, are extremely responsive to shifts in the local environment. Thus, the microbiome acts as a ‘canary in the coal mine’. As clinicians and biologists, the session will focus on harnessing the capabilities of the microbiome to promote health and to act as prognosticators of impending disease states as well as biomarkers of disease activity.

The predictability and long-term success rate of dental implants are well documented in the literature. Nevertheless, complications and failures do occur and can have a significant impact on overall treatment. Peri-implantitis is one of the most common biological complications affecting functional implants. Even though the exact causes of peri-implant diseases is the bacterial biofilm, numerous factors may increase the risk of developing peri-implantitis. Risks may be reduced and even eliminated if some related factors are controlled. This lecture will discuss risk indicators to identify susceptible patients so that a customized treatment plan can be provided for each patient, depending on the relevant needs. Also, it will evaluate common problems encountered with the restorative phase providing an understanding of how and why problems exist and ways to reduce them.

Severe periodontitis (Stages III and IV) is a prevalent condition affecting over 1 billion people in 2021, with a global age-standardized prevalence of 12.50%. It ranks among the most significant Level 4 diseases, contributing to years lived with disability (YLDs). Concurrently, edentulism has a global age-standardized prevalence of 4.11%. By 2050, more than 1.5 billion people (44.32%) are projected to suffer from severe periodontitis, and over 660 million (84.40%) are expected to be edentulous.

Is there a way to change this trend? Can we effectively prevent or treat severe periodontitis, thereby preserving the natural dentition? This webinar aims to address these questions by first examining the prognosis of teeth affected by severe periodontitis, with or without periodontal treatment, and then discussing the evidence-based efficacy of current periodontal treatments in maintaining natural dentition—either through periodontal therapy alone, as seen in most cases of Stage III periodontitis, or through well-planned multidisciplinary treatment in cases of Stage IV periodontitis.