COURSE DESCRIPTION AND OBJECTIVES

For more than 25 years, implant esthetics has been a dominating topic in implant dentistry for partially edentulous patients. As we all know, implant therapy in the anterior maxilla is challenging due to the high esthetic demand of the patients and difficult anatomical situations with bone and/or soft tissue deficiencies, which are often present in the esthetic zone. These defects are more often seen today, since post-extraction implant placement has become common in daily practice. For the surgical portion of therapy, several well-documented treatment options are available today. The key is to use the right case selection based on good selection criteria. These aspect will be discussed in all details:

a) Immediate Implant Placement with a flapless approach, computer assisted implant surgery (CAIS) and internal grafting,

b) Early Implant Placement 4-8 weeks following extraction with an open-flap approach and simultaneous GBR for horizontal bone augmentation, or

c) Socket Grafting for Alveolar Ridge Preservation, combined with a Delayed Implant Placement roughly 4 months later.

Hence, the implant surgeon must have a thorough understanding of the tissue biology, utilize the right selection criteria for treatment planning and perform a skillful and precise implant surgery to achieve successful outcomes with good long-term stability.

Cutting-edge innovations in implant prosthodontics will be discussed in detail as well such as digital technologies - including fully integrated digital treatment planning and guided surgery presenting the latest digital workflows. These advancements enable greater precision, efficiency, and predictability across disciplines. At the same time, rapid progress in implant prosthetic materials - ranging from high-performance polymers to advanced ceramics - offers new possibilities for esthetics, strength, and long-term stability. Together, these developments are reshaping the standards of reconstructive dentistry and are expanding what is clinically achievable. All these prosthetic aspects will be discussed in detail.

The 3-day Master Course is again offered by a superb faculty with 12 well-known Master Clinicians and top Dental Technicians including world-renowned guest speakers with Stephen Chen (University of Melbourne), Sascha Jovanovic (Los Angeles), Rony Jung (University of Zurich), Pascal Müller (Zürich), Irena Sailer & Vincent Fehmer (University of Geneva) and last but not least Urs Belser (Geneva). The local speakers from the University of Bern include the two Course Directors Danny Buser and Manrique Fonseca plus Ramona Buser, Jordi Caballé-Seranno and Toni Sculean. They will comprehensively present in 19 lectures every aspect of esthetic implant therapy for the handling of single tooth gaps and extended edentulous spaces in the anterior maxilla.

A special emphasis will be given to the new TLC implant of Straumann, which is part of the iEXCEL implant system. This implant is the successor of the well-known Standard Plus implant, but with a straight design of its machined neck. It can also be used as a BLC hybrid to reduce the risk of peri-implantitis in long-term function.

In addition, this implant has a modified thread design to further improve primary stability and the new TorcFit connection, which allows two options of prosthetic rehabilitation, (a) the platform-switching approach primarily used in the esthetic zone, and (b) the platform-matching approach, primarily used in non-esthetic, posterior sites. Therefore, we call the straight TLC implant a Double Hybrid Implant.

Various surgical approaches in post-extraction implant placement and bone augmentation procedures with the GBR technique will be presented with 3-4 live surgeries.

LECTURE TOPICS

• Surgical key-factors for successful outcomes with long-term stability | TLC, the new Double Hybrid Implant of Straumann for the Esthetic Zone as part of iEXCEL – Surgical characteristics
• Esthetic principles in implant dentistry – TLC, the new Double Hybrid Implant of Straumann for the Esthetic Zone as part of iEXCEL – Prosthetic characteristics
• Esthetic risk assessment and basic surgical principles in esthetic sites
• Implant placement post extraction: when immediate, when early, when socket grafting and delayed?
• Treatment planning in implant patients: How much digital technology is used today?
• The power of autogenous bone chips & the Concept of Bone-Conditioned Medium
• Immediate Implant Placement with immediate restoration: When and how?
• Early Implant Placement with simultaneous GBR: When and how?
• Socket Grafting for Alveolar Ridge Preservation followed by delayed implant placement: When and how?
• Soft tissue conditioning around osseointegrated implants with provisional restorations
• The interaction between prosthodontist and dental technician in the digital era
• Prosthetic procedures for esthetic single-tooth crowns step-by-step
• GBR procedures in complex situations
• Prosthetic procedures for implant borne FPD in the esthetic zone
• Treatment concepts for elderly patients in the esthetic zone
• Long-term results with implant borne restorations in the esthetic zone: What factors are relevant?
• Mucosal recessions at implants: Potential of soft tissue grafting?
• The handling of vertical hard and soft tissue defects in the anterior maxilla