Course objectives

For more than 25 years, implant esthetics has been a dominating topic in implant dentistry for partially edentulous patients. As we all know, implant therapy in the anterior maxilla is challenging due to the high esthetic demands of the patients and difficult anatomical situations with bone and/or soft tissue deficiencies, which are often present in the esthetic zone. These defects are more often seen today, since post-extraction implant placement has become common in daily practice. For the surgical portion of therapy, several well-documented treatment options are available today, and it's all about case selection based on good selection criteria. The options include immediate implant placement with a flapless approach and internal grafting, early implant placement with an open-flap approach and GBR or socket grafting for alveolar ridge preservation, combined with a delayed implant placement. Hence, the implant surgeon must have a thorough understanding of the tissue biology, utilize the right selection criteria for treatment planning and perform skillful implant surgery to achieve successful outcomes with good long-term stability.

Cutting-edge innovations in implant prosthodontics such as digital technologies - including fully integrated digital treatment planning and guided surgery - are transforming modern dental workflows. These advancements enable greater precision, efficiency, and predictability across disciplines. At the same time, rapid progress in implant prosthetic materials - ranging from high-performance polymers to advanced ceramics - offers new possibilities for esthetics, strength, and long-term stability. Together, these developments are reshaping the standards of reconstructive dentistry and are expanding what is clinically achievable. The 3-day Master Course is again offered by a superb faculty with 12 well-known master clinicians and top scientists, including 6 world-famous guest speakers, such as Stephen Chen (University of Melbourne), Sascha Jovanovic (Los Angeles), Ronald Jung (University of Zurich), Irena Sailer & Vincent Fehmer (University of Geneva) and last but not least Urs Belser (Geneva). The local speakers from the University of Bern include Dieter Bosshardt, Ramona Buser, Jordi Caballé-Seranno, Toni Sculean and the two Course Directors Danny Buser and Manrique Fonseca. They will comprehensively present in 19 lectures every aspect of esthetic implant therapy for the handling of single tooth gaps and extended edentulous spaces in the anterior maxilla.

A special emphasis will be given to the new 4th generation Straumann implant for the Esthetic Zone: The TLC Implant with a hybrid surface concept. This implant is the successor of the well-known BLT implant, but with a machined neck to reduce the risk of peri-implantitis in long-term function. In addition, this implant also has a modified thread design to further improve primary stability and the TorcFit connection, which allows two options of prosthetic rehabilitation, a non-matching, platform switching approach, and also a matching, non-platform switching approach.

The surgical approaches in post-extraction implant placement and bone augmentation procedures with the GBR technique will be presented with 3 live surgeries. In addition, 3 hands-on workshops (digital planning, surgical and prosthetic procedures) complement the master course for on-site participants. The EMC will be offered again with a hybrid set-up. That means that participants can attend on-site in Bern or they can attend via a high-quality streaming platform, both live and on-demand for 3 months.

Lecture topics:

• Surgical key-factors for successful outcomes with long-term stability | The new 4th generation Straumann implant for the Esthetic Zone: The hybrid TLC Implant – Surgical characteristics
• Esthetic principles in implant dentistry – The new 4th generation Straumann implant for the Esthetic Zone: The hybrid TLC Implant – Prosthetic characteristics
• Esthetic risk assessment and basic surgical principles in esthetic sites
• Implant placement post extraction: when immediate, when early, when delayed?
• Socket Grafting for Alveolar Ridge Preservation: When and how?
• Treatment planning in implant patients: How much digital technology is used today?
• Bone healing in membrane protected defects: Which bone grafts, bone substitutes and barrier membranes should we use?
• The power of autogenous bone chips & the Concept of Bone-Conditioned Medium
• Immediate Implant Placement with immediate restoration: When and how?
• The concept of Early Implant Placement with simultaneous GBR: When and how?
• Soft tissue conditioning around osseointegrated implants
• The interaction between prosthodontist and dental technician in the digital era
• Prosthetic procedures for esthetic single-tooth crowns
• GBR procedures in complex situations
• Prosthetic procedures for implant borne FPD in implant patients
• Treatment concepts for elderly patients in the esthetic zone
• Long-term results with implant borne restorations in the esthetic zone: What factors are relevant?
• Mucosal recessions at implants: Potential of soft tissue grafting?
• The handling of vertical hard and soft tissue defects in the anterior maxilla