Brussels, 7 November, 2023. The future of education on periodontology (dentistry applied to gums and teeth-supporting tissues) and how to make it more effective and more modern are the topics being addressed at Perio Workshop 2023, a meeting of periodontal scientists organised by the EFP (European Federation of Periodontology) in collaboration with Dentaid, taking place in La Granja, Spain until 8 November.
Approximately 70 leading experts from 22 countries are meeting at Perio Workshop 2023 to discuss and reach a new consensus, after the success of the 2009 workshop on the same topic. It is time to identify the changes that are needed in periodontal education at all levels (undergraduate, postgraduate, continuing education), affecting learning outcomes and competences, methods of learning and training, and evaluation.

Chaired by David Herrera, Perio Workshop 2023 brings together a selection of specialists from the EFP and ADEE (Association for Dental Education in Europe). Sessions are organised in four working groups, which are discussing guidance on the scope and limits of periodontal education at all levels.
“Discussions at this year’s workshop are especially exciting since we have identified relevant factors that are impacting education in periodontology, since 2009,” announces David Herrera, chair of Perio Workshop 2023 and the EFP Workshop committee. “Those factors include the 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 of 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),” explains Prof Herrera.

The outcomes of these four days reviewing the latest studies available on this field will be published as a consensus paper in the EFP-edited Journal of Clinical Periodontology in spring 2024, and are set to shape how periodontology and therapeutics with dental implants are taught in the coming years by any public or private organisation teaching periodontics around the world, including the EFP-accredited postgraduate programmes in periodontology and implant dentistry imparted by 23 universities in Europe, the Middle East, and the Asia- Pacific region.

According to Cristina Ballesteros, head of Dentaid's medical department: "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. Collaborating in this workshop is consistent with our purpose, as improving and updating the training of periodontics professionals facilitates the advancement of oral health research and allows for improved patient outcomes".
Organized annually by the EFP, Perio Workshop brings together world-class periodontists for a high-level scientific meeting aimed at reaching a new consensus on state-of-the-of-the-art, emerging topics relevant to the science behind gum health and gum disease by examining and discussing the latest research-based knowledge available.

EFP, global benchmark in periodontology
The EFP (European Federation of Periodontology, 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 38 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: past 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.


Dentaid, Oral Health Experts
We are a company with a clear purpose: to promote and improve people's oral health throughout their lives through research, dissemination of knowledge and the development of innovative products. The Dentaid Research Center is where we generate knowledge, share it with professionals and the society and apply it to scientifically substantiated oral healthcare solutions. With brands like Vitis®, Interprox®, Perio·Aid® and PHB® we reach more than 35 million people in 50 different countries.