Renowned scientists and dental professionals from around the world with expertise on all relevant topics related to ceramic implantology gathered at the SWISS BIOHEALTH EDUCATION CENTER in the city of Kreuzlingen in Switzerland on 15 and 16 October 2021 to launch the first Joint Congress for Ceramic Implantology. From the more than 300 participants from 16 countries, 130 guests attended the event in person, making it the largest congress of its kind to date.

Among the internationally renowned speakers and the audience were not only implantology-savvy dentists but also medical experts who were keen on sharing their insights on, in addition to ceramic implants, the topic of biological dentistry, which deals with optimising the general health of patients by means of targeted intake of vitamins and micronutrients, for instance, in order to systemically prepare their bodies for surgery and support the subsequent healing period. In addition to the hosting expert society, the International Society of Metal Free Implantology (ISMI), Dr Karl Ulrich Volz, ISMI president and head of the congress, invited six other renowned medical associations to the congress. They contributed to the congress programme substantially by providing top-tier speakers, and the various invited ceramic implant manufacturing companies and other industry partners were given the opportunity to share their latest research ndings and technologically advanced product innovations with the congress participants as part of the complementary industry exhibition. For instance, members of the US-based International Academy of Ceramic Implantology expert society or the German Society for Blood Concentrates and Biomaterials, which was founded under the leadership of congress
speaker Prof. Shahram Ghanaati in 2020, were invited to contribute to the event with their professional expertise. To provide the best experience possible for the international audience, the congress was held bilingually in that it was interpreted simultaneously from English into German and vice versa. What was conveyed theoretically in exciting lectures was also demonstrated practically with a live surgery carried out in the surgical facilities of the adjacent SWISS BIOHEALTH CLINIC, where implants from the ceramic implant manufacturer SDS Swiss Dental Solutions were inserted, further consolidating the newly acquired knowledge on the part of the participants.

In addition to attending the congress in person, all those interested in ceramic implants had the opportunity to either follow the congress online from home via livestream, which was also transmitted 9 hours later for the international participants, or watch it via interactive Zoom, while also being able to actively participate: during open Q & A sessions, the Zoom-participants were connected live and thus had the opportunity to interact directly with the on-site audience in the training centre. For guests who attended the congress in person, an all-inclusive service was offered for the breaks, allowing them the opportunity for personal exchange during those times. The White Night with its gourmet and bar stations and its musical programme involving a DJ set and live performance of a band was certainly another highlight for all guests looking to review the eventful congress days with colleagues in an informal atmosphere. In summary, Dr Volz described the congress as a complete success and said that he was grateful for the fruitful exchange of experience between those attending, some of whom have been using ceramic implant systems for decades to great success. Marco Gadola, speaker at the congress, former CEO and current member of the board of Straumann Group, sees ceramics as the implant material of the future and predicts that in 2025, the clinical use of ceramic implants will have grown by a factor of 40.

The second Joint Congress for Ceramic Implantology will take place on 14 and 15 October 2022, again at the SWISS BIOHEALTH EDUCATION CENTER in Kreuzlingen, to jointly discuss topical research results as well as current methods and treatment approaches in relation to ceramic implantology. Three-quarters of the on-site participation capacities for the second event are already booked. More information will be made available in due course at www.swissdentalsolutions.com/en/joint-congress-ceramic-implantology.

Author: Caroline Vollmann/Switzerland (This article was published in ceramic implants 2/2021)