Interview with Prof. Stefan Fickl of International Osteology

Dental Tribune International

Thu. 25. April 2019

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Regenerative treatment options are a major concern in dental implantology. Dental professionals who are interested in studying the field further are invited to attend the upcoming International Osteology Symposium, to be held in Barcelona in Spain on 25–27 April. Dental Tribune International took the opportunity to interview Prof. Stefan Fickl, one of the event speakers, on surgical methods for soft-tissue regeneration, how to achieve aesthetically pleasing results and the importance of immediate implant placement for aesthetics. Fickl is affiliated with the Department of Periodontology at the University Hospital of Würzburg in Germany since 2009, has specialised in periodontics and has been running his own private practice near Nuremberg in Germany since 2018.

Prof. Fickl, the theme of the International Osteology Symposium is “THE NEXT REGENERATION”. What are your expectations of the symposium?
Regeneration is one of the major topics in periodontics and implant dentistry. I personally expect to learn about new materials and surgical approaches to improve the regenerative aspects of our therapeutic approaches. For me as a periodontist, the most interesting topic is soft-tissue regeneration, particularly with xenografts.

You are giving a presentation titled “Update soft tissue augmentation” on Thursday. What is your lecture about, and what are your intended main learning objectives?
For a long time, bone regeneration has been the major topic in implant dentistry. Today, we know that a healthy and intact soft-tissue mantle is also very important to maintain an implant in the long term. I will discuss the importance of soft-tissue augmentation and demonstrate surgical approaches to improve the soft-tissue mantle around dental implants.

What methods can be used to regenerate soft tissue?
The most important technique in many cases is grafting with subepithelial connective tissue grafts. However, soft-tissue substitutes, such as collagen matrices, have gained interest in the scientific community and can be used in some instances as an alternative.

How can dentists achieve pleasing aesthetic results in dental implantology?
Many factors are important to achieve satisfying results from an aesthetic perspective. Of course, the positioning of the implant is essential. If the implant is misplaced, good results cannot be achieved. Also, an adequate bone structure on the buccal side of an implant is important and an adequate quantity of soft tissue in height and thickness is essential.

What are the advantages and disadvantages of immediate implant placement regarding aesthetics?
Immediate dental implants can achieve great aesthetics if properly used. The reason is that only one surgery is needed and therefore tissue trauma is reduced. However, risks are involved if you combine extraction, implant placement and augmentation in one surgery. Immediate implant placement, with proper case selection and in the hands of an experienced clinician, can lead to excellent soft-tissue aesthetics.

You have been working in implantology for many years. Have you observed any growing trends?
The growing knowledge in our field is striking. In particular, in the field of tissue regeneration, many factors which were not regarded as important some years ago are today crucial for long-term successful implant restoration. In addition, technology is improving year by year and can help the experienced clinician to be less invasive and reduce patient morbidity.

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