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INTERVIEW with — Dr. Stavros Pelekanos Dental Tribune International was fortunate to be able to interview one of the most influential international speakers in the fields of pros thetics and implantology, Dr. Stavros Pelekanos from Athens, Greece, in between his travels and spoke with him about his academic and professional lives. Dr. Pelekanos is an former assistant professor at the Department of Prosthodontics, School of Dentistry, University of Athens. As a faculty member of the Global Institute for Dental Education, Los Angeles, U.S., he lectures interna- tionally and gives hands-on courses on implants, esthetics and restorative procedures. To date, he has published over 20 articles in peer- reviewed journals and two chapters in books. Q: It is clear from your biography that you were educated internationally, having ob- tained your doctoral degree in Germany. You established your private practice in 1995, and since then have published over 30 articles and collaborated on several books. It seems that you have mastered both worlds—profes- sional and academic. How do you see this from your perspective? What has been need- ed from your dental team to maintain the high-quality work for all this time? A: Theory and practice can be so close and yet so far from each other. The time I spent at the University of Freiburg (under Prof. J.R. Strub) for my postgrad studies influ- enced my way of thinking with regard to the academic part of my life. At the same time, having the opportunity to work with excellent clinicians has challenged my fu- ture and given me the desire to combine both the academic and clinical world. Lately, I took a big and difficult decision to quit the Greek University (Dental School of Athens) after serving it for 16 years consecutively. It’s all about choosing the right people to be with and work with. A team approach with highly qualified dentists, dental assistants and dental tech- nicians is established in my office in Ath- ens, giving me the opportunity to com- bine clinical work and lecturing. Q: Looking at your intense international lec- ture schedule, you spend a substantial amount of time outside your o(cid:3)ce in Greece. What challenges does this bring to your work, and how do you manage to maintain a bal- ance? Can you remember how many new passports you have had to get because the old ones were filled with stamps? A: Traveling for lecturing has been very intense during the last six years, that’s true. Visiting new places and encountering dif- ferent people and cultures has really been the interesting part, but keeping a balance between work and personal life has been the difficult part. Regarding the passports, I still remember the last one, which was so full of stamps and added pages that it was not accepted, although not expired! Q: Everybody needs a mentor. Who has had the greatest impact on your professional work? Whom do you look up to? A: As I already mentioned, Prof. J.R. Strub in Freiburg was my first mentor and had a major impact on my professional work. Having the opportunity to work closely with him and with Prof. Markus Hürzeler (associate professor at that time) influ- enced my way of thinking in dentistry, es- pecially in combining prosthodontics and surgery. I strongly believe that a good implant surgeon has to master prostho- dontics and a good prosthodontist has to master surgical procedures. The modern implantologist has to be trained in both disciplines. Q: What is your professional focus at this point in your career? A: Having been a part of the academic com- munity and teaching prosthodontics at the University of Athens—I really loved teach- ing my postgrad students. My greatest passion though is treating patients at the highest level possible. This is only possible when one has a team that shares the same vision and passion with one and a place that inspires one. This is achieved in my private clinic based in Athens. I believe one can become a better teacher if one under- stands and masters the clinical reality. Q: What is your scientific focus at this point in your career? A: Placing and restoring a large number of implants in the last 20 years, especially in the esthetic zone, and being aware of the complications that can occur, my main focus is the transmucosal part of the implant– abutment complex. The mechan- ical connection, the kind of abutment, the materials used (chemistry and surface roughness) and the treatment sequence are some of my focus areas, which are described in a book chapter that was recently published (Implant Aesthetics: Keys to Diagnosis and Treatment; Spring- er, 2017). Subsequently, clinical online videos are also available via the e-book. New treatment modalities, like the use of inter mediate single-unit abutments for single- implant restorations, and the im- pact of surface roughness modification on the soft tissue are points of interest and the subjects of research. Q: You actively participate in several dental associations and groups that have different approaches to dentistry. Some of them appear to be very relaxed, like the one in Ibi- za, Spain, and others seem very formal. What is your insider view on these different groups and their cultures? How important is that participation for your work? A: Well … that’s true; that event in Ibiza was organized on Facebook among good friends and took place in a very relaxed atmosphere. It ended up being very suc- cessful and there has been great interest from dentists and companies for it to be continued on an annual basis. In contrast, I am an active member of the European Academy of Esthetic Den- tistry (EAED), one of the most important and prestigious groups in the world, with members who are pioneers, leaders and passionate clinicians in esthetic dentistry. 16 — issue 2018 Esthetic and Restorative Dentistry Interview