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More Than 7,000 Dental Professionals Gather in Barcelona
Barcelona, November 27 — From November 26 to 29, the SEPA Barcelona ’25 Congress, organized by the SEPA Foundation, will be held at the Barcelona International Convention Center (CCIB). Under the theme “More Knowledge, Better Clinical Experience,” and with a trade show exceeding one hundred stands, more than 7,000 professionals from dozens of countries around the world will participate in this internationally recognized meeting.
More than 200 national and international speakers are participating in this congress on Periodontology and Oral Health, which will include nearly fifty monographic sessions addressing current scientific and clinical controversies, lectures, workshops, corporate forums, and other innovative formats, as well as surgeries explained by world-leading experts such as Istvan Urban and Luca de Stavola. In addition, the winner of the international Regeneration World Cup (RWC), which recognizes successful clinical cases in mucogingival surgery, will be announced.
All of this is structured within a program comprising three educational tracks (Periodontology/Interdisciplinary/Digital, Hygiene/Prevention, and Practice Management and Clinical Quality in the dental office), with simultaneous Spanish–English translation in all official sessions, and with more than 5,000 square meters dedicated to the trade show, where more than one hundred companies (104 stands) are represented. Attendees will have the opportunity to learn firsthand about the latest technological innovations and to establish strategic connections with leading companies in the sector. The event also features spaces specifically designed to encourage the exchange of experiences among professionals from all over the world in a dynamic and inspiring environment.
“Our objective is to bring something new, and this year we are placing particular emphasis on simplifying the work of the everyday clinician to improve predictability and effectiveness in both the prevention and treatment of periodontal and peri-implant diseases,” explains Dr. Alberto Monje, SEPA’s Scientific Events Officer. Along the same lines, SEPA President Dr. José Nart states that “this is a unique opportunity to gain practical insights that can be applied immediately in the dental office and contribute to enhancing the quality of care.”
Unprecedented Success
This congress is considered a global benchmark in Periodontology and Oral and General Health. “It is the congress where any medical discipline, especially dentistry, can find its place and obtain answers to the challenges encountered in daily practice,” highlights Dr. Paula Matesanz, SEPA Vice President. And in situations where specific scientific evidence is lacking to answer a question, attendees can rely on the experience and direct contributions of world experts who are shaping the trends that will define the future of Periodontology and Implant Therapy.
“The success of this scientific meeting lies in the thematic diversity, the excellence and quality of the selected speakers, the global leadership of Spanish experts in this field, and the recognition that SEPA enjoys as an international reference in scientific training and congress organization,” says Dr. Monje, who considers “the main attraction to be the interdisciplinary and cross-cutting nature of the congress, open to everyone, providing a comprehensive and integrated vision of dentistry.” In his view, “this meeting will allow attendees to obtain rigorous professional training not only on oral health but also on its implications for general health,” noting that “dental offices must become centers for health promotion.”
For more than a decade, SEPA has strongly committed to internationalization. As a result, the congress is designed not as a national scientific event but as a global and international meeting with strong appeal for specialists in all areas of dentistry. “One of our objectives is to encourage world experts to present their findings and techniques at our congress, and to ensure that the program attracts participants not only from Latin America but also from non-Spanish-speaking countries,” explains Dr. Monje.
Oral Health and Its Connection to General Health
One of the most significant topics addressed at this meeting focuses on Medical Periodontology. As SEPA’s president emphasizes, “Today’s clinical periodontology cannot limit itself to plaque control or tooth preservation. It must take a leading role in the prevention and management of chronic non-communicable diseases as part of evidence-based, patient-centered medicine focused on overall well-being.”
He adds that “we cannot continue allowing lack of awareness or fragmented care to hinder coordinated management of oral and systemic health.” For this reason, he calls for “protocols of collaboration between medical and dental professionals, the integration of periodontal health into public health systems, and the promotion of preventive policies that are accessible to the entire population.”
Dr. Nart calls on all health professionals and public administrators “to finally acknowledge that caring for the gums is caring for overall health,” as expressed in the Bangkok Declaration: “There is no health without oral health,” advocating for universal oral-health coverage by 2030. In his view, “promoting periodontal medicine is not only a scientific or technical matter; it is, above all, an ethical and social responsibility.”
Everything, for Everyone
A substantial number of scientific sessions will address the challenge posed by systemic relationships between oral health and general health. Emerging approaches in periodontal diagnosis will be presented, along with current treatment options for implant-related recession, strategies for preventing complications, new developments in tissue regeneration, and the use of antiseptics in the prevention and management of periodontal and peri-implant diseases. Attendees will also receive clinical guidance for managing periodontitis and participate in symposia addressing oral-health care from preconception through adolescence.
Within the Hygiene and Prevention track, special emphasis will be placed on the connection between oral health and general health, the role of diet in promoting oral health, and the essential commitment to oral-cancer prevention, among many other topics.
Also featured are sessions on how to recognize mistakes in clinical practice and learn from them, sessions examining dilemmas and controversies in clinical decision-making, and presentations exploring the present and future implications of artificial intelligence in dentistry. Several talks will focus on clinical practice guidelines which, as Dr. Paula Matesanz highlights, “will be sessions devoted to explaining the benefits of these invaluable tools, which provide clear evidence-based protocols, ensure quality of care, standardize procedures, and support safer and more informed decision-making.”
A significant portion of the SEPA Barcelona ’25 scientific program centers on interdisciplinarity, with particular emphasis on the challenges and advances in Digital Dentistry. Dr. Monje underscores that SEPA has “an obligation to innovate,” and therefore the organization seeks to incorporate “the latest technologies, innovations, and cutting-edge techniques.” This commitment is reflected in a program specifically designed to demonstrate how digital tools can improve treatment predictability, support minimally invasive approaches, optimize planning, and promote a truly multidisciplinary perspective. “In a constantly evolving field like dentistry, increasingly influenced by artificial intelligence and robotics, our goal is to offer a contemporary but realistic approach that is genuinely useful in daily practice,” he notes.
Interdisciplinary collaboration will be especially evident in various forums and sessions organized jointly with other affiliated scientific societies, such as the International Team for Implantology (ITI), the Osteology Foundation (OF), the Oral Reconstruction Foundation (ORF), and the AVOLA Association, among others. In this context of alliances, the Dentaid Research Center Room is also a new feature, hosting lectures and debates exploring tissue regeneration, innovations in preventing peri-implant diseases, and the discussion surrounding the use of antiseptics in periodontal and peri-implant conditions.
The educational itinerary for Hygiene and Prevention takes on greater prominence in this edition, extending the program by one additional day for oral-hygiene professionals. The demand for this event has exceeded all expectations, leading to early closure of in-person registration, with more than 1,200 registrants for this track alone, and new registrations now limited to virtual attendance. “It is an unprecedented success,” says Dr. Monje.
The topics within the Practice Management track are also highly relevant. These sessions will address innovation and sustainability in dental-office operations, performance measurement and evaluation, key indicators for dental-practice management, leadership skills, diversification strategies in the digital environment, the impact of artificial intelligence on improving practice productivity, and strategies for using social media to align dental teams and foster patient loyalty. A roundtable on future trends in the dental market and industry will also be held, and excellence in practice management will be recognized.
Corporate forums will also stand out, featuring short, high-impact clinical sessions with companies and corporate foundations linked to periodontal treatment and implant therapy.
From Cutting-Edge Research to the Dental Office
The primary objective of the congress is to translate the most current and advanced evidence into clinical practice, along with the latest innovations that increasingly emphasize minimal invasiveness and the goal of achieving the highest levels of patient satisfaction. “The most current knowledge and the most advanced clinical experience will be presented in a clear and applicable manner so attendees can leave with insights they can incorporate directly into their practice,” says Dr. Monje. “In a field in constant transformation, strongly influenced by artificial intelligence and robotics, the aim is to present a contemporary, interdisciplinary, and realistic approach that is useful for everyday clinical care.”
This creates the challenge of combining keynote lectures by globally recognized leaders with more interactive, practical formats that more closely reflect real clinical situations. Additionally, innovative sessions will be held, including “duel-style” presentations where world leaders compare opposing techniques, as well as video demonstrations of advanced procedures involving teeth and implants. The paradigm is the congress’s opening session, in which two of the world’s foremost experts will lead a clinical debate on bone regeneration, “a session that promises to be historic,” according to Dr. Vanessa Ruiz Magaz, Professor at the Universitat Internacional de Catalunya (UIC).
This session will address one of the most advanced areas of modern dentistry: bone regeneration, which is essential for rehabilitative treatments such as dental implants. In a comparative format, two of the most prominent international experts in this field, Istvan Urban and Luca de Stavola, will present differing approaches for regenerating the maxillary bone, a key requirement for restoring both function and esthetics in patients with bone loss.
New Features
Among the main new developments, the congress includes an innovative pre-congress session on peri-implantitis, made possible through public funding, where periodontists, researchers, general dentists, and biomaterials experts discuss challenges and advances in this area. This marks the first edition of the SEPA–National Implantoplasty Network Symposium, supported by the Ministry of Health.
A joint scientific session between SEPA and the Saudi Society of Periodontology and Dental Implantology (SSPI) has also been held.
Additionally, this year marks the first edition of SEPA Pharma, a meeting point for pharmacists and pharmacy teams intended to strengthen collaboration between pharmacy professionals and dental practices with the shared goal of improving population oral health. “This is a training track specifically designed for pharmacy professionals, with content developed especially for them,” notes Dr. José Nart. Among other subjects, the program explores the management of dentin hypersensitivity, the future of dental care within pharmacy settings, oral-health routines, oral dysbiosis, the impact of oral health on the rest of the body, and the importance of pharmacy-based counseling in promoting oral health.
This year, the congress bags and attendee gift kits were prepared by a nonprofit organization. As Dr. Nart highlights, “SEPA is committed to advancing social cooperation. We work to ensure that our congresses become more sustainable every year.”
Meanwhile, ExpoPerio, the trade show of SEPA Barcelona ’25, surpasses all previous records for this annual scientific event. With 104 stands hosted by collaborating companies, it maintains its role as a commercial, scientific, informational, and networking hub.
Important Recognitions
During the congress, several leading experts will be recognized and honored.
The Periodontology Promotion Award will be presented to Dr. Nuria Vallcorba, a distinction granted by the Board of the SEPA Foundation in recognition of her extensive career, her clinical excellence, her commitment to high-quality training, and her dedication to disseminating and bringing Periodontology closer to all.
The SEPA Foundation Platinum Award will be awarded to Dr. Sandro Cortellini for his international prominence as a master clinician and reference in periodontal regeneration.
Within the Practice Management and Clinical Quality Community, Jordi Cambra will receive the Excellence in Dental-Practice Management Award for his pioneering work in integrating business management into the dental office.
A tribute will also be paid to the late Dr. José Juan Vilar Martínez, who, among many contributions, served as SEPA’s Secretary General from 1986 to 1992. In his honor, a philanthropic fellowship has been established, a competitive grant supporting basic or clinical research through a clinical residency of at least three months at any national or international research center, funded at €15,000.
About SEPA
With more than 6,000 members, the Spanish Society of Periodontology and Osseointegration (SEPA) and its Foundation are among the world’s leading scientific societies in periodontology and implant therapy. Their activities are structured around three pillars: promoting high-quality training, disseminating scientific knowledge, and supporting research as a fundamental driver of progress. SEPA collaborates with top-tier strategic partners both nationally and internationally, strengthening the society’s dynamism and its capacity for impact.
Click here to learn more about SEPA Barcelona ’25.
For more information, confirmations, or interview coordination:
Paco Romero
Tel. +34 639 64 55 70
https://sepa2025.es
Greta Van der Putten - 1 month ago