Author: Liu Xinran
Department of Stomatology, Peking University School of Stomatology
The golden autumn, whether in Europe or Asia, people thousands of miles apart share the same expectations for this season of harvest. Like their counterparts in the field of dental aesthetics from around the world, they all have an unwavering pursuit of beauty. At the heart of the Balkan Peninsula stands the capital of the Republic of Serbia, Belgrade. This historic city, known as the White City, is situated at the confluence of the Danube and Sava rivers, serving as a vital water and land transportation hub between the Danube River and the Balkan Peninsula, and has been an important node for exchanges between Europe, Asia, and Africa since ancient times. From September 19th to 21st, 2024, the 21st Academic Conference of the European Society of Cosmetic Dentistry (ESCD) was held in Belgrade.
At this grand event, dental aesthetic colleagues from various European countries and invited guests from around the world gathered together to share the latest developments in the field. The conference featured two main lecture halls, two technician-themed sessions, and three hands-on workshop venues, offering a diverse and fascinating program. Professor Liu Feng from the Department of Stomatology at Peking University School of Stomatology was once again invited to the conference to deliver a speech, marking the return of the Chinese voice to the ESCD stage after many years.
Professor Liu Feng, from the Department of Stomatology at Peking University School of Stomatology, was invited by ESCD to share the stage with ESCD Honorary Lifetime Member Dr. Mauro Bazzoli, delivering a speech titled “Vertical Preparation and Biologically Oriented Preparation Technique, Origins and New Trends” to colleagues from various countries in attendance.
Dr. Mauro Bazzoli shared a wealth of clinical cases during his speech, some with observation periods exceeding 20 years. He not only presented the excellent clinical outcomes of these cases but also elucidated the key factors in clinical decision-making and material selection through sharing his own experiences and thoughts. Professor Liu Feng introduced the extensive work and outstanding achievements of China in promoting, applying, and researching vertical preparation and biologically oriented preparation techniques and concepts, showcasing excellent cases of the application of vertical preparation and biologically oriented preparation techniques in clinical work by numerous outstanding colleagues in China. This included work from young and middle-aged experts from different institutions, excellent cases completed by doctors from private institutions, and outstanding work by technicians in collaboration with clinical professionals.
Following this, Professor Liu Feng presented some typical cases he had worked on, elaborating on the significant changes and advancements brought about by the extensive application and rapid development of digital technology on vertical preparation and biologically oriented preparation techniques, and introduced the concept and application of “Data-Driven Restoration” as well as strategies for dealing with poor preparation body margins in secondary crown restorations in aesthetic areas. Finally, Professor Liu Feng and Dr. Bazzoli jointly introduced the Chinese edition of the book “Vertical Preparation and Biologically Oriented Preparation Technique,” published by Quintessence Publishing China, and announced the upcoming release of the English edition of the book to be published by Quintessence Publishing London next year.
Other Exciting Academic Reports 1
Dr. Josef Kunkela delivered a speech titled “Myths and facts of digital dentistry.” The lecture first discussed the application of digital technology in fixed prosthodontics. Many key issues were analyzed in detail, including the impact of digital processing equipment’s burs on the bonding surface and margins of restorations; the effects of polymerization shrinkage and cleaning processes on the surface material and processing accuracy in the 3D printing process of restorations; and the influence of sprue design at different locations during the milling process of restorations.
In the second half of the lecture, the focus was on the digital clinical and laboratory processes of full-mouth denture restoration. Through actual cases and clinical research, the impact of impression materials on scanning during impression scanning and the advantages of different scanning devices in capturing soft tissue morphology were discussed.
Other Exciting Academic Reports 2
Dr. Marcelo Calamita gave a keynote lecture titled “Esthetics in function: integrating the occlusal principles into the smile design” in the main hall. He introduced the adverse effects of occlusal parafunction on prognosis in aesthetic reconstruction, emphasizing the inseparable relationship between function and aesthetics in extensive reconstruction and restoration treatments.
He then elaborated on the clinical indicators of occlusal instability and the methods and importance of obtaining the centric relation and restoring or altering vertical dimension.
By analyzing actual cases and literature, he compared the similarities and differences between traditional methods and digital approaches for functional and aesthetic analysis.
Other Exciting Academic Reports 3
An old friend of ESCD, Professor Rade Paravina, returned to his homeland in Serbia, delivering a lecture titled “Color in esthetics – Biomimetic disruption, bench to chairside.” He extensively discussed his series of studies on the color science in dentistry throughout his career.
Professor Paravina first emphasized the multifactorial nature of color science, stating that human perception of color is influenced by various factors, both objective and subjective.
While learning theoretical knowledge and literature, it is essential to remember that a particular numerical index of color cannot fully reflect human visual perception of color. He then outlined his goals for dental color science, which include establishing systems, materials, and equipment that simulate natural functions, structures, and biological changes through biomimetic methods; and through innovation, breaking away from traditional models in existing industrial applications to establish new effective models.
In the subsequent part of the lecture, he introduced the color ranges of oral dental tissues and gingival tissues and their distribution among different populations, as well as the impact of age, gender, and race on tissue color. By sharing a large number of studies, he introduced common evaluation indicators in dental color science research and the evolution of these indicators.
For the color-matching tools commonly used in clinical practice today, Professor Paravina also explained their evaluation methods and clinical significance.
In the final part of the lecture, Professor Paravina discussed the unresolved issues in dental color science research and future research directions.
The European Society of Cosmetic Dentistry welcomes all colleagues interested in dental aesthetics to join. The 22nd Academic Conference of the European Society of Cosmetic Dentistry will be held from September 25th to 27th, 2025, in Seville, Spain. For more information about the annual conference, please continue to follow dentallaboverview.com for the latest updates.
Leave a Reply