implants - international magazine of oral implantology

editorial _ implants I I 03implants3_2012 _Dentalimplantologyhasexperiencedasubstantialchangeinthelast25years.Thetreatment spectrumhasbeensignificantlyexpanded;simultaneously,ourpatients’expectationsanddemands inimplanttreatmenthavedevelopeddisproportionately.Inaddition,implantdentistrynowisalso an integral part of everyday dental practice. In spite of the growing importance of oral implantol- ogy,mostdentistsreceivetheireducationinimplantdentistryaftergraduationwithonlylittleem- phasisonthecomplexityandrisksofimplanttreatment.Providingourpatientswithqualityimplant treatmentmotivatesustogivethebestourprofessionhastooffer.Thisdoeshowevernotimplythat our treatments must be perfect to 100 per cent, since perfection such as this does not exist in the practiceofimplantdentistry.Instead,wemuststrivetoachievethebestwecandoforourpatients. We need to work either as individuals or as members of a team to assure that implant treatment is safe,effective,andaestheticallyacceptable.Wecanallplayapartinprovidingqualitydentalimplant treatmentbybeingthereforthepatientwithskillsthatareattainedbypropereducation,experience, andcounselfromthosewhohavegainedthenecessaryskills,knowledge,andjudgment. For 42 years, DGZI has organized its annual conferences in order to inform about scientific in- sights and “truths” established by research and evidence-based clinical observations. Not only for novicecliniciansisattainingthepropereducationacontinuingprocess,butitisalsoanongoingen- terpriseforthehighlyexperiencedclinician.Newdevelopmentsoccurwitheachpassingday.There- fore,providingthebestwecandoforourpatientsandprofessionbecomesanimpossibletaskifwe keepourblindersonandpersistinourpracticeaswedidyesterday.Asearlyasthebeginningofthe 1990s did DGZI begin to administer an examination for particularly qualified colleagues, allowing themtobothreviseandprovetheirknowledgeandskillstotheadvantageandthesafetyoftheirpa- tients.TheCurriculumImplantologywasestablishedasasystematiceducationforthenewcomers aswellasfortheexperiencedimplantologist.Somethousandcolleagueshavesincepassedtheed- ucation successfully. A subsequent master studies postgraduate program can be attended addi- tionally for more theoretical skills. In addition, a specialist and German board (GBOI) international examination was established by DGZI for clinicians who want to have their theoretical and practi- calexperiencetestedbyaninternationalexaminationboard.Oneofthisyear’sDGZIhighlightswill be our International Annual Meeting in Hamburg from 5 to 6 October titled “Quality Oriented Im- plantology—WaystoLong-TermSuccess”.Complexsituationsindentalimplantologyandthedigi- talizationofsurgeryandprostheticsarediscussed,alongwithaperiimplantitisspecialsessionand discussion.TakeyourchanceandregisterforthemeetingaswellastheGermanboardandspecial- ist examination. You can request more information from our central office in Düsseldorf (Tel. +49 211 1697077). I invite you all to join us and enjoy Hamburg where it is most beautiful, di- rectly located on the Elbe River—at the heart of the harbour! Indulge in new culinary creations and anunforgettableatmosphere,combiningstate-of-the-artscientificmeetingwithmaximumrelax- ation.SincerelyYours, Dr.RolfVollmer 1st VicepresidentofDGZI To know when to do! To know when not to do! Dr Rolf Vollmer