Brussels, 27 February 2023. Perio Master Clinic conferences are about to become a more global affair with three editions in three continents being organised in less than a year. Perio Master Clinic, the brand created by the EFP (European Federation of Periodontology) in 2014 for providing career-boosting training to dental clinicians on the best periodontal techniques, is about to take place in Europe, the Americas, and Asia.

Dental practitioners from all around the world can take part in Perio Master Clinic 2023 in Antwerp, Belgium in March, in International Perio Master Clinic 2023 in León, Mexico next May, and in International Perio Master Clinic 2024 in Singapore in January 2024. In principle, Perio Master Clinic is a triennial conference held in Europe with the global leading speakers, followed by a non-European updated edition the following year with some additional local experts. The coming series of three iterations in a row is due to calendar changes caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.

Bringing Perio Master Clinic conferences to three different continents in such a short period illustrates the global scope currently reached by the EFP, which brings together 37 national scientific societies of periodontology and implant dentistry not only from Europe but from six continents.

The philosophy of Perio Master Clinic is based on a distinctive practical, hands-on approach to improve the skills and understanding of dental clinicians, be they experienced or relatively newly qualified. It aims to deliver teaching on the latest and most advanced techniques in key practical areas of gums-related dentistry. That is why, unlike EFP's EuroPerio congresses, each Perio Master Clinic conference focuses on a specific topic.

‘Perio-ortho synergy’ is the topic chosen for Perio Master Clinic 2023 in Antwerp, Belgium on 3-4 March, which will be led by chair Peter Garmyn and scientific chair Virginie Monnet-Corti. The conference will focus on how patients with periodontitis can be treated to improve aesthetic and functional outcomes by taking a combined periodontal and orthodontic treatment approach. This is the first time that the common ground between periodontology and orthodontics is systematically addressed in an international major conference.

Led by conference chair Álex García and scientific chair Anton Sculean, International Perio Master Clinic 2023 will be held on 5-6 May in León, Mexico, marking the first time that this EFP conference has ventured to the Americas. The topic will be ‘Hard- and soft-tissue aesthetic reconstructions around teeth and dental implants - current and future challenges’, with an outstanding faculty including leading international speakers, including some from the US and Latin America. Registration is possible at the EFP’s website.

Finally, International Perio Master Clinic 2024 will take place in Singapore on 19-20 January, 2024 and will address the perio-ortho synergy just as Perio Master Clinic 2023. Featuring Philip Preshaw as conference chair, Jonathan Phua as co-chair, and Virginie Monnet-Corti as scientific chair, International Perio Master Clinic 2024 will bring the brand to Asia for the second time, following the success of International Perio Master Clinic 2019 in Hong Kong.

“We are particularly proud of the global impact that our Perio Master Clinic conference brand is making among the dental clinicians around the world, and we see the organisation of these major events in Europe, Latin America, and Asia as a natural consequence of the worldwide scope of EFP's projects and publications,” sums up Monique Danser, member of the organising committee of all three conferences and EFP treasurer.

“The interests, challenges, and knowledge of dental practitioners are quite similar everywhere, and so is our determination to upskill and improve their technique at the dental practice, so they can offer the best possible treatment to their patients and periodontal health can make everyone's life better,” Prof Danser adds.

EFP, global benchmark in periodontology

The European Federation of Periodontology (EFP, www.efp.org) is a non-profit organisation dedicated to promoting awareness of periodontal science and the importance of gum health for oral-health professionals and the public. Its guiding vision is !Periodontal health for a better life”.

Founded in 1991, the EFP is a federation of 37 national periodontal societies representing more than 16,000 periodontists, dentists, researchers, and oral-health professionals in Europe and around the world. It organises events and campaigns grounded in evidence-based science in periodontal and oral health, including EuroPerio (the world’s leading congress in periodontology and implant dentistry), Perio Master Clinic, and Perio Workshop. Gum Health Day, its awareness campaign for the public celebrated annually on 12 May, brings key messages on gum health to millions of people across the world.

The EFP also organises workshops and outreach campaigns with its partners: projects have covered the relationship between periodontal disease and diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and caries, as well as women’s oral health during pregnancy.

The extensive list of EFP publications include the Journal of Clinical Periodontology, the research summary JCP Digest, and the online magazine Perio Insight, which offers expert views on periodontal science and clinical practice. The federation’s work in education is also highly significant,  notably  its  accredited  university- based programmes for postgraduate education in periodontology and implant dentistry.

The EFP has no professional or commercial agenda.