001.Quality assurance and benchmarking in dental education

There is a global trend in which many countries, national systems, institutions and procedures have been set up to promote quality in higher education. This is particularly true in dental education in which Quality Assurance (QA) and Benchmarking have an important part to play. In the context of Europe, the European Union (EU) has set out guidelines for quality assessment and quality assurance in higher education. This in turn will help to ensure that dental education is delivered across Europe in a consistent high standard and with patient care and protection being of paramount importance.

It is recognized that Quality Assurance in dental schools has to co-exist as part of established Quality Assurance systems within faculties and universities, and that schools also may have to comply with existing local or national systems.

Since there must be more than one road to achieve convergence or harmonization of standards, a series of ‘toolkits' from which schools can ‘pick and choose' to assist them in developing QA systems appropriate to their own environment will be presented. It is realized that not all schools will be able to achieve all of these requirements immediately, by definition, successful harmonization is a process that will take time.

One important element that supports harmonized QA in the European Higher Education area is the opportunity for properly structured (and appropriately recognized) student exchange within the dental curriculum. In addition, it will also help confirm that EU dental schools are providing high quality research-led education, learning opportunities and experience to all students, so that they may then achieve a consistently high degree of professional excellence in an internationally recognized institution.

Perhaps of greatest importance are the fourteen ‘requirements' for the Quality Assurance of Dental Education in Europe. These, together with the document and its appendices, were unanimously supported by the Association for Dental Education in Europe (ADEE) at its General Assembly in 2006.

In this presentation, definitions of Quality, Quality Assurance, Quality Management, Quality Improvement and Accreditation are explained and polymerized into a formula of enhancing dental education.
Saudi Dental Journal 2007;19(SI)-Abstr.001

Saudi Dental Journal 2007;19(SI)-Abstr.002

Dr. GERHARD KULTERMANN
Head, Customer Information Center, 3M ESPE ,Consultant Dental Expert for Research and Development, Seefeld, Germany

Zirconium-Oxide ceramics are not new to medicine. Since many years ago,  this material is used for replacement of joints in human bodies. The physical and aesthetic properties of Zirconium-Oxide material combined with the CAD-CAM technology have made it a fascinating material to use for prosthetic restorations in dentistry. Topics covered are: Full ceramic materials in dentistry. What can Zirconium-Oxide offer? The LAVA  System from 3M ESPE. How to design the tooth preparation? Advantages of milling in pre-sintered phase. Can a machine deliver perfect fit? What about aesthetic? Clinical cases will also be presente

Dr. PETER UWE GEHRKE
Associate in Private Practice limited to Implant Dentistry and Oral Surgery, Ludwigshafen, Germany

Predictable osseointegration has taken the role of implant dentistry beyond the mere restoration of function for the compromised edentulous and partially edentulous patient to an accelerated and esthetic treatment approach for implant-supported restorations. Accelerated function and the pursuit of reducing the all-over treatment time is obviously essential for the final patient satisfaction, but implant treatment planning should never be focused around function improvements alone. The ultimate goal is the achievement of a pleasing smile architecture considering the proper proportion and relation of the implant restoration according to established principles. In addition, all restorative techniques available and adjunctive periodontal soft tissue procedures need to be applied to compensate for anatomical irregularities at the site. This allows for an implant restoration that mimics that of a natural tooth. Although metal implant abutments have inherent esthetic disadvantages, they are most widely considered a standard treatment option for implant supported restorations. The art of looking naturally, however, has been perfected by ceramics. Its application in implant prosthodontics has opened up a new era in esthetic tooth replacement. Improved material characteristics, complying with clinicians' and patients' increased demands for highly esthetic results, have contributed significantly to the development of a new generation of implant abutments made from zirconium-dioxide noted for their tooth-like color, high load strength, tissue tolerability and intra-sulcular design enhancement. The phenomenon of transformation toughening of zirconium-dioxide results in extremely high component strength, extraordinary bending and tensile strength as well as fracture and chemical resistance. The presentation will highlight the natural symbiosis of a functional and esthetic treatment approach, considering surgical and restorative implant design aspects, as well as abutment shape and material characteristics.

Saudi Dental Journal 2007;19(SI)-Abstr.004

005. Smile enhancement through osseointegrated implants: Technologies and techniques beyond the mere fixture

Dr. PETER UWE GEHRKE
Associate in Private Practice, Limited to Implant Dentistry and Oral Surgery, Ludwigshafen, Germany

Accelerated function and the pursuit of reducing the all-over treatment time is obviously essential for the final patient satisfaction, therefore fundamental parameters to shorten the initially recommended implant therapy are of common interest. Implant macro- and micro-design are widely recognized as being of fundamental importance in achieving long-term success. As such, extensive research has been performed in order to determine the implant surface texture necessary to attain an optimal bone-implant biomechanical interlock. Four interrelated properties of an implant surface affect osteogenic activity: chemical composition, surface energy, surface roughness, and surface morphology. Methods of enhancing the implant surface include alteration of the microstructure and modification of its physiochemical parameters, including surface-free energy and wettability. Recently, a novel enhanced implant surface has been introduced obtained by grit-blasting and a new acid-etching technique at elevated temperatures. Data from several studies suggest that this microstructured surface influences a number of events in the process of osseointegration, resulting in the production of a more rapid bone response and increased bone to implant contact, due to its specific morphology, wettability, and energy. Its clinical impact on immediate functional and non-functional loading will be critically discussed.

Saudi Dental Journal 2007;19(SI)-Abstr.005