Perio Workshop 2023 took place from 5 to 8 November, in La Granja, Spain and brought together 70 leading international experts from 22 countries. The purpose of this gathering was to discuss and establish a new consensus on undergraduate, postgraduate, and continuing education in periodontology. Sponsored by Dentaid, the workshop is expected to have a profound impact on dental education worldwide.
The meeting, chaired by Professor David Herrera, drew experts not only from the European Federation of Periodontology (EFP) but also from the Association for Dental Education in Europe (ADEE) and the International Association for Disability and Oral Health (iADH). Participants were organised into four working groups, focusing on various aspects of periodontal education.
“Discussions at this year’s workshop were especially exciting since we identified relevant factors that impacted education in periodontology since 2009,” explained Prof. Herrera, chair of Perio Workshop 2023 and of the EFP Workshop committee. “Those factors include recommendations of the World Health Organisation (WHO) after its 75th World Health Assembly; the new framework for the undergraduate curriculum in dentistry proposed by the ADEE; the impact of teaching and evaluation methods after the COVID-19 pandemic; and the recent Perio Workshops on the classification and on the management of periodontal and peri-implant diseases and conditions (S3-level clinical practical guidelines),” he said.
All these factors prompted experts to re-evaluate and redefine the standards and practices for education in periodontology. Outcomes of the four-day workshop will be published as consensus papers (together with the reviews that provided the basis for discussions) in the Journal of Clinical Periodontology in 2024. The publication is expected to shape the content, methods of learning, training, and evaluation adopted by universities and teaching organisations globally. It will have a significant impact on how periodontology and dental implant treatments are taught, both in public and private institutions. These include the EFP-accredited postgraduate programs in periodontology and implant dentistry, offered by 23 universities across Europe, the Middle East, and the Asia-Pacific region.
Cristina Ballesteros, head of Dentaid's medical department commented: "Collaborating in this workshop is consistent with our purpose, as improving and updating the training of oral health professionals facilitates the advancement of oral health research and allows for improved patient outcomes. Generating knowledge is a pillar of Dentaid. We work day-by-day hand in hand with professionals, co-creating and sharing knowledge to contribute to the improvement of dental practice.”
Annual Perio Workshops organised by the EFP serve as a platform for world-class periodontists to engage in high-level scientific discussions. They aim to establish a new consensus on state-of-the-art, emerging topics relevant to the science of gum health by analysing and discussing the most recent research-based knowledge available.
This event demonstrates the commitment the EFP to stay at the forefront of education and ensure that the training of future periodontists and dental professionals remains up to date with the latest advancements in the field.
